Too Shy
by nibblesfan
Summary: A year after 'that night', a painfully shy, but naturally gifted girl arrives at the opera to join the chorus. Even a still hurting Erik can't stand by and let her potential go to waste. But as he tries to coax Ella out of her shell, can she help him out of his? Will something more begin to blossom or is this one flower that will never bloom? E/OC
1. Chapter 1

Her jaw dropped as she saw just how huge the Opera Populaire really was. Doubt began to whirl through her mind, but Ella shoved them aside and forced herself to continue walking towards the massive building. Now that she had nowhere else to go, she knew she was lucky they were willing to take her in as a dancer.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked as she walked through the door. Turning, she saw one of the many staff members cleaning the grand entryway before tonight's performance.

"I...I'm supposed to find Madame Giry," Ella stammered. "I'm supposed to start dancing here."

"Up those stairs, to the left, and into the theater," he directed, seemingly bored with their exchange already. "Rehearsals are nearly finished, you can speak with her then, but if you interrupt, the managers will have you out of here before you can say 'Opera Ghost'."

Ella nodded her thanks before taking off in the direction he had pointed. True to his word, the cast was onstage, holding what appeared to be the final note in a song. The second the song ended, everyone scattered in a thousand different directions. Taking in a deep breath, Ella headed towards the cluster of ballerinas.

"Pardon me," she whispered, but the chatter of the dancers drowned out her voice. "Excuse me?" Ella sighed as they continued to ignore her. "I'm looking for Madame Giry." Without a single girl noticing she was there, the herd began to walk away, leaving her standing there.

"Eleanor LeFontelle?" A strict-looking woman dressed in black was approaching her. The air of authority surrounding her made Ella realize this wasn't someone to mess with.

"Madame Giry?"

"That would be me. So you think you have the skills to become a dancer for the Opera Populaire?"

"Even if not, I'll to do whatever it takes to learn," Ella replied honestly.

Her response seemed to please the ballet mistress. "Good. Theater is one part skill, one part luck, and one part willing to learn, and not everyone is able to grasp that. Come with me, I'll show you to the dormitories and to your new dressing room."

The grandeur of the opera house kept Ella in awe. Everything was just so splendid and ornate, Ella felt like she didn't belong. After a time, Madame Giry gestured towards a door. "This will be your dressing room."

"Oh my." The room was tastefully decorated and so beautiful, it took her breath away. "All this, just for a simple dancer?"

"If you think this is a lot, you should see the prima donna's," Madame Giry said with smile.

"That'll never happen. I'm no prima donna. I'm just grateful to be a part of the chorus even."

"You never know what'll happen. Maybe someday you will be a star."

Ella knew better than to argue. "Can we see the dormitories now?"

"Of course, follow me." Madame Giry led her back to another part of the opera house. "The dormitories are right this way. Now starting tomorrow, you'll practice with everyone else. Breakfast is at seven, rehearsals start at nine o'clock sharp. Lateness isn't tolerated."

"I understand."

The door swung open at Madame Giry's touch. Immediately the room fell silent. Ella could feel heat rush to her cheeks as all the girls stared at her. "Ladies, this is Eleanor. She is the newest dancer here." One of the dancers, about her own age walked up to them. "Eleanor, this is my daughter Meg. She's the head ballerina; she'll help you get used to everything."

The blonde girl smiled. "I'd be glad too."

"Well, I'll leave you to get settled in," Madame Giry said before walking out.

"So Eleanor, what brings you to our little theater?" Meg asked.

"It's Ella actually," she replied quietly. "And I guess I'm here because I really didn't have anywhere else to go."

"Oh you poor thing," Meg said, wrapping what was supposed to be a comforting arm around Ella's shoulder, but all she really wanted was to be out of the spotlight. "You're not the first, but I promise you, you're going to love it here."

"Just beware the Phantom of the Opera," another girl, who appeared to be just a bit older than Ella, added. She had dramatic dark hair, blue eyes filled with mischief, and a fiendish smile on her face.

"Wha…what do you mean?" Ella stuttered.

"Oh you mean no one's bothered to tell you?" she asked, with a toss of her curls. "He lives far beneath the Opera House, his face so deformed he's more monster than man. He terrorizes the theater when someone displeases him, anywhere from little 'accidents' to downright catastrophes. In one night alone, he murdered our star tenor, dropped the chandelier on a full house and set this place on fire. And of course we all remember what happened to Christine."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Every single dancer seemed frightened. "What happened?" Ella whispered.

"Apparently the Phantom had taken a fancy to her and taught her to sing. He demanded that she star in all the performances, and he sabotaged every single one our old prima donna, La Carlotta, had the lead in. And when Christine got engaged to the Vicomte de Chagny, it set him over the edge. Eventually, he forced the managers to produce an opera he had written, with her as the lead. As it started, he murder the tenor Piangi and took his place. Halfway through the performance, Christine pulled off his mask, so he used the chandelier as a distraction so he could drag her down to his lair and keep her prisoner forever."

"You're full of it," Meg interrupted. "You know full well that Christine and Raoul are very happily married out in the countryside."

"But he still leaves notes from time to time, every single one followed down to the letter because the managers can't afford to incur the wrath of the mighty Opera Ghost."

"So he just leaves everything alone now?" Ella asked.

Meg nodded. "Pretty much. He sometimes has some comments or criticism about a production, but they're always immediately put into effect and nothing major has happened since then."

"Good," she said with a sigh of relief.

"You aren't nervous?" the other girl asked, her head cocked at a slight angle. "I mean, after all, I wouldn't want that room."

"What are you talking about?"

"Christine Daae's dressing room of course. It's been sitting unused since that night for fear of upsetting the Phantom. Until now. All the others are in use, which means it was the only one available for you to have. For all we know, you're next."

"Jacqueline, that's enough!" Meg snapped. "It's the girl's first night here and you're already scaring her out of her wits!"

"I'm sorry." The glint in her eyes told Ella she was anything but. "I just wanted her to be aware of what she was getting herself into."

Meg rolled her eyes. "Don't mind her. She likes to cause trouble. You have nothing to worry about. But you've had a long day, you're probably exhausted."

"Yes, I would like to get some sleep if you don't mind," Ella said, happy to get off the subject of the Phantom.

Later that night, as the other girls slept soundly, Ella stared at the ceiling, wondering what on earth she had gotten herself into.


	2. Chapter 2

Erik pounded the keys of his organ in frustration then buried his face in his hands. Ever since Christine had left, he had no light, no happiness, no music. His angel and his inspiration had abandoned him to the cold, damp cellar of this opera house for a life of luxury with a boy who knew nothing of love.

For an Opera Ghost, there was surprisingly little music in his life now. Without Christine, he had no muse, and no muse meant he had no inspiration for his compositions. The only way he was able to tell that time had even passed was the ever changing opera productions.

Days like today, the hole in his heart consumed him. Days like today, he felt half alive, a shell of a person, more ghost than actual man. Days like today, Erik would spend locked up in Christine's old dressing room, remembering the love he had lost.

He began the journey upstairs, wishing for nothing more than for his angel to be back in his own arms. Lost in his own thoughts, Erik nearly walked into the room. At the last moment, he realized that there was someone already in there.

A girl with loose red curls was staring at him. He froze in horror until he remembered that the one-way glass of the mirror meant she only saw her own reflection. But who was she and why was she in Christine's dressing room?

One closer look was all he needed. She wore a white leotard, just like all the other ballerinas, but Erik didn't recognize her. Whoever she was, she was new, and apparently had been given this room to use. But not for long, he would make sure of that.

"Madame Giry!" he snapped, bursting into her office. She turned around and faced him, dread on her face. Obviously she knew exactly what his problem was. "How dare you," he hissed. "How dare you give that room to some ballet rat!"

"She isn't just some ballet rat, she's a young girl!" Madame Giry responded just as harshly. "You always want to be treated like a human being, and yet you dehumanize everyone else just as much as they do you."

"Don't you _dare_ change the subject. I want that girl out of there. She has no business in that room."

"Where else am I supposed to put her?" Madame Giry demanded. "There's no other place for her to use."

His eyes narrowed. "That's not my problem."

Erik spun on his heel and started to leave, but she called out to him. "Erik, Christine is never coming back. She made her choice, and it's long past time for you to grow up and accept that fact."

He half turned so only his porcelain mask was visible to her, but the flames of fury that danced in his eyes screamed volumes. His jaw tightened; if it were anyone but Madame Giry, he would have attacked, but since it was her, Erik stayed put but his voice was dangerous. "Don't test me."

"Erik, she has no family, no money. The opera is the only thing that's keeping her off the streets. She doesn't have the skills or the knowledge to survive on her own."

"So now you're trying to use compassion?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm trying to get you to use your heart like a decent person," Madame Giry replied.

How dare she talk of using his heart! He had loved before and received nothing but betrayal. "I have no heart," he retorted bitterly.

"We both know that's not true."

He just glared at her. "Either you get rid of her or I will."

* * *

"Honestly, can't you dance?" Jacqueline demanded.

Ella could feel her cheeks flush. She bowed her head in embarrassment and whispered "I'm sorry," for what felt like the thousandth time that morning.

"Leave her alone," Meg said angrily. "You were just as bad when you started, probably worse."

"_I_ started when I was nine, so by the time I was old enough to actually be in a production, I knew what I was doing and didn't look like a bumbling oaf."

"Go terrorize someone else," Meg ordered.

"She's right you know," Ella cried miserably.

"Ella, don't you listen to her. You're doing fantastic for someone with your level of experience. The fact you've gotten this much down so quickly is just amazing. Especially since we've already learned all the choreography for this, and you're being tossed in mid-production."

"But I keep messing up," she protested. "You guys can't keep learning your routine if I can't catch up to what you've already got down."

"It's your first day," Meg insisted. "Don't worry about it. Everything's fine. Really, things will get better for you. You're still learning."

"But Jacqueline said…"

"Jacqueline is horrible to everyone. She finds your flaws then makes you feel bad about every little thing. Honestly, she's worse than La Carlotta and no one thought that was possible. You're actually a great dancer, and she probably thinks you're going to upstage her."

Ella shook her head. "That will never ever happen."

Meg gave her a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine."

Just then, the rehearsal ended. "Learn to dance," Jacqueline snapped as she sauntered past.

"You'll be fine," Meg repeated, though seemingly less sure of herself.

* * *

Erik watched the petite redhead run from the stage. Silent as a shadow, he followed her back to her dressing room. He watched her from his old place behind the mirror as she sat in front of her vanity, buried her face in her arms and began to sob.

"What are you even doing here?" she asked herself, staring at her own tear stained reflection. "You don't belong here. Jacqueline's right. Why do you even bother?"

He tilted his head to one side in curiosity. He had watched her all day, and although he hated to admit it, Meg was right. This girl was talented, and with a little practice, could probably match if not surpass, Jacqueline's or even Meg's skill.

But that didn't change the fact that she was still in here. No matter how talented, he wanted her out. Although if Jacqueline continued to terrorize her like this, he probably wouldn't even have to put any effort into getting rid of her.


	3. Chapter 3

A week later, Erik was surprised to find himself watching the new girl again. She had actually stayed longer than he had expected. Jacqueline threw everything she could at her, but the girl just took it with a straight face. Well until she got into her dressing room and sobbed her heart out, although Erik was fully aware she thought she was alone.

This complicated things for him. Part of him wanted to see how long it was before she snapped and either broke down fully or lashed out, but the other part of him wanted her gone, and wanted her gone _now_.

He watched as Jacqueline decided to confront the new girl yet again. The dark haired girl moved just enough out of place so that the two collided. "Watch it!" she snapped. Things like this happened more and more frequently, but as usual, the new girl just murmured an apology.

"Hey leave her alone!" Meg had spent the past few days trying to stand up for her since no one else would. "It's not Ella's fault! You weren't in the right spot."

"Alright that's enough!" Madame Giry interrupted before the fight could go any further. "Jacqueline, you were off, you're supposed to be there. And as for the rest of you, you look like you've never danced a day before in your lives. You're going to do it over and over again until all of you can get it right."

As the ballerinas began their routine again, Erik found himself amazed as the redhead almost seemed to vanish before eyes yet again. She perfected the one art of disappearing that he knew he never could: vanishing in plain sight. Although she learned the steps faster than anyone had expected her dancing had become utterly average. She was neither awful nor spectacular; she did absolutely nothing to draw attention to herself. But he could see that she danced effortlessly, and to a well trained eye, she was just as good, if not better, than the best. The only thing holding her back from dominating the stage was herself. But why?

* * *

Ella was relieved when Madame Giry decided they had improved enough to end their rehearsal. Jacqueline's constant harassment was really starting to bother her. She couldn't figure out what she had done to attract her bitterness.

Lost in her own thoughts, Ella jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. "Hey, Jacqueline's just nasty to all the new people. She just sees you as a threat her position," Meg explained, as if she could read Ella's mind. "She'll stop eventually."

Before she could respond, the managers walked in, deep in conversation with a man Ella had never seen before. Everything about him screamed money, from his perfectly styled, glossy chestnut hair, to his fashionable clothes, to the air of dignity and slight arrogance that surrounded him. He glanced over at the group of dancers, and when his gaze passed over Ella, he smiled and winked before turning back to his discussion. "Ooh, I think someone likes you," Meg whispered excitedly.

"I don't even know who that is," Ella replied, looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"That's the patron, Archer Dubois. He's here all the time with the managers. After the Vicomte de Chagny left, he replaced him. Isn't he handsome?"

"I suppose so," Ella mumbled, blushing furiously. "But he's obviously wealthy, and I'm just a chorus girl. Even if there was something to that, and I rather doubt there was there's no way there could ever be anything between us."

"You never know," Meg insisted. "Raoul de Chagny married Christine, even though he was a Vicomte and she was a ballerina here."

"She was also prima donna for a time. That's different," she protested.

Meg gave her an encouraging smile. "Maybe someday you will be."

"Your mother said the same thing."

"See?" Meg said with a laugh. "My mother can spot talent from a mile away. If she said that, that means you have a lot of potential."

"But I can't perform in front of people!"

"You're a dancer. How can you not perform in front of people?" her friend asked.

"Dancing's different. I'm part of a group, I blend in. I can't stand people watching me, just me. I can't be the center of attention, I freak out." Ella knew that Meg didn't seem to understand. "I can't explain it."

"Well, it's no matter. We already have a star anyway. Now come on, let's go or we'll miss dinner."

Ella shook her head. "I'm not hungry. You go ahead. I just want to spend a little time alone."

Meg looked at her curiously. "Are you sure?"

"Go, I'll be fine," Ella insisted with a wave of her hand.

"Alright, if you'll okay. I'll see you later." Meg flashed her one last smile before walking away.

A prima donna? Her? Ella toyed with the idea. She would love to be able to sing for the world. To hear the thunderous applause, all for her. Closing her eyes, Ella walked back onto the now deserted stage and pictured it. Alone, all eyes on her… just staring at her… watching her. With a gasp, her eyes snapped back open, her daydream shattered. There was no way she could ever do that. Even eyes she was imagining was enough to make her clam up.

With a sigh, Ella knew she was doomed to be forever in the chorus, trapped by a cage of her own shyness. She looked around the empty theater once more before singing for the only person who ever heard her. Herself.

"_Green finch and linnet bird,_

_Nightingale, blackbird,_

_How is it you sing?_

_How can you jubilate,_

_Sitting in cages,_

_Never taking wing?_

_Outside the sky waits,_

_Beckoning, beckoning,_

_Just beyond the bars._

_How can you remain,_

_Staring at the rain,_

_Maddened by the stars?_

_How is it you sing_

_Anything?_

_How is it you sing?_

_Green finch and linnet bird,_

_Nightingale, blackbird,_

_Teach me how to sing._

_If I cannot fly,_

_Let me sing."_

* * *

Oh God, that voice! That angelic voice! It was just as beautiful as…no he wasn't going to go there. Erik leaned over the rail of Box Five, wondering if what he was hearing could possibly be real. How could she keep such a heavenly voice hidden like that?

Erik closed his eyes in ecstasy and let her song surround him. He could help her, he could teach her to get over her stage fright, he could make that voice his, he could…_no_! He had been through that before and had his heart ripped to shreds. He didn't need another betrayal. Besides, he told himself, this girl wouldn't fall for the angel trick, not like _she_ had. It would be better if he just walked away. But how could he just leave her confined to the anonymity of the chorus? She was a flower, waiting to bloom, a songbird, too afraid to take wing. That seemed more cruel than anything.

Erik was torn, an internal screaming match going on in his head. There was so much he could do for her, but there were even more ways for this girl to hurt him. He couldn't afford to get attached, he knew the price. He had paid dearly already and couldn't bear the thought of doing it again. And yet, he felt the need to risk everything once more.

* * *

"You have a lovely voice." Ella yelped in surprise. She thought she was alone. Her heart pounding, she searched for the source of the masculine voice that had interrupted her, but couldn't see anyone.

"Where are you?" she asked. "Show yourself!"

"As you wish," the voice said with an amused chuckle.

"I don't see you," Ella said, looking around wildly when no one appeared. "Where are you hiding?"

"Behind you," came the reply whispered in her ear. She had to clamp her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming in shock. Whirling around, she saw a man half hidden behind some scenery. The half of his face that she could see was handsome, with a strong jawline, slick black hair, and mesmerizing green eyes.

"Who…who are you?" she managed to stammer, breaking eye contact.

"Someone who knows talent," he responded evasively. "And you mademoiselle, have one of the most beautiful voices I have ever had the pleasure of listening to." Ella could feel her face get hot. He wasn't supposed to have heard her at all.

She wondered who he could be, she didn't think she had seen him before. Trying to get a closer look at his face, Ella took a step closer, but he retreated back a step into the shadows. Before he could get any further away, she rushed towards him, but froze when she saw the white mask on the other side of his face. "You're…you're the…the Phantom of the Opera." Her eyes wide, she reached instinctively for the mask.

"Indeed," he said, calmly catching her wrist and pulling it away from his face, her fingers just barely brushing the cool porcelain. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Ella twisted out of his grip and backed up against the wall, her heart hammering in her chest. She had heard the stories. What was he going to do to her? Kidnap her? Kill her? Instead of either, he surprised her by disappearing into the shadows. When he didn't reappear, Ella turned and ran, grateful she was still alive.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean she won't sing?" a voice boomed. The managers seemed absolutely livid as they argued with Madame Giry, the conductor, Monsieur Reyer, and the patron.

Ella turned to Meg. "What's going on? Why are the managers shouting?"

"The star, Maria Bouvier, has a cold so she won't sing. She says it'll be bad for her voice," Meg explained. "And they've sold out tonight's show. If they can't get a replacement before then, they'll have to cancel, which will be really bad for business."

"And there's no understudy," Ella muttered. "Well can't they get someone else to do it. One of the dancers? Someone?"

"Ella could sing it!" a voice chimed into the manager's conversation. Ella's face drained of color as she saw Jacqueline flounce over to the bickering opera staff. "I heard her last night. She's really good." Jacque looked back at her with a malice filled smile, and Ella knew this wasn't going to end well.

The group exchanged glances. "Well I guess we have nothing to lose," Madame Giry said with a sigh. "Let's hear it."

"What do you mean?"

Andre sighed as though she were stupid. "Sing. We want to know if you can step up and perform in tonight's show."

She shook her head furiously. "Oh no, I could never. I'm flattered and all, but I'm no star. I can't sing the lead."

"Don't sell yourself short," Madame Giry insisted. "I'm sure you're more than capable."

"I can't," Ella protested. "I…I…" her argument got stuck in her throat as the patron gave her a reassuring smile.

Madame Giry gently pushed her to the middle of the stage. "You can do this."

"I…I really can't," she stammered. The whole cast was watching her, staring at her, hundreds of eyes on her. She could hear the opening bars of the song, so she took a deep breath. When it was time for her to begin, Ella opened her mouth, but couldn't get her voice to work. As everyone stared at her expectantly, the room began to spin, and she collapsed.

* * *

Erik couldn't believe how cruel Jacqueline was. It wasn't fair for her to take advantage of her shyness. He shook his head. "No," he told himself. "Don't get attached. Don't you _dare_ get attached to her. You saw how she reacted to you. And that was _with_ the mask. Imagine how she'll fear you if she saw you without it."

* * *

Ella's head was pounding as her eyes fluttered open. She didn't remember what had happened. "Are you alright Mademoiselle?" a voice asked.

She gasped as she saw a pair of warm chocolate brown eyes staring down at her. It took her a moment to process the fact that she was lying on a cushioned bench in her dressing room and the person hovering over her was the man Meg had said was the patron. "I…I…um…what happened?"

"You collapsed on stage. Are you alright? Have you strained anything?" he asked with concern.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern Monsieur…?"

"Dubois. Archer Dubois. I don't believe we've met Mademoiselle…?"

"I'm Ella LeFontelle," she said. "Well, I appreciate your helping me, but I really must be getting back to rehearsals."

As she turned to go, he grabbed her hand. "You don't want to stress yourself," he protested. "I'm sure the managers won't mind."

"I…I don't know," she stammered, staring at the floor to escape his gaze. "We have a performance coming up and I really do need the practice."

"Please, I insist. I don't want to see you hurt yourself."

"I have to go," Ella said, turning away. "Thank you for everything Monsieur Dubois."

"Call me Archer. And if you won't listen to me, at least allow me to take you to dinner after tomorrow night's performance," he replied, flashing her a charming smile.

"I'm flattered by your offer Monsieur, but I don't think I'm able…"

"Think about it, okay?" He took her hand and brushed it against his lips. "I won't take no for an answer Miss LeFontelle."

Hours later, Ella was tossing and turning in bed, unable to get to sleep. She had never been the center of attention before, but in one week she already had one of the best ballerinas tormenting her, the Phantom listening to her singing, and the opera patron demanding she go to dinner. How had so much changed?

Silently, she climbed out of bed and slipped out of the dormitories, she couldn't think in there. Alone in the darkness, Ella crept through the theater until she found herself on the roof. The cold winter wind blew around her as she shivered in her thin nightgown.

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked out over Paris. Closing her eyes, Ella thought about her life. For as long as she could remember, she had been a nobody dreaming of being a somebody. Now she had had that chance, and she blew it.

And what about Archer? Yes he was handsome, and yes he was interested in her. But she had never had even a minor relationship with a man, let alone a wealthy noble. Besides, she could barely speak to him earlier.

As her thoughts shifted again, Ella realized Archer was the least of her problems. After her run-in with the Phantom last night, she was afraid of what he was going to do. He had let her go, but she wasn't sure if it was because he didn't care about her, or if he had some bigger plan in mind, and she knew she didn't want to find out.

Even if he ignored her, she still had Jacqueline to deal with. Obviously the ballerina was still trying to get rid of her, or humiliate her as much as possible. The look on her face earlier was all the proof Ella needed.

God why did her life have to be so complicated? Ella just wanted to be left alone, but at the rate things were going, that wasn't going to happen. Why couldn't she make it all just go away? As she looked down at the streets below, Ella realized she could. It would be so simple. All she needed to do was let go. As the wind grew stronger, she carefully climbed onto the ledge.

"_Wake me up inside  
Wake me up inside  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
Bid my blood to run  
Before I come undone  
Save me from the nothing I've become"_

* * *

Erik paced back and forth across the floor. Even though he was usually comfortable here in the darkness, right now, he just felt confined. He couldn't focus, all he heard was that girl singing again. Finally with a sigh of frustration, he abandoned his home and moved further upstairs. Perhaps on the roof, he could clear his head.

As he opened the door to the roof, his eyes grew wide at the sight waiting for him. Obviously he wasn't the only one with the idea of coming up here, although he wasn't hanging off the edge. Erik rushed forward, hoping he wasn't too late.


	5. Chapter 5

Ella screamed as her feet slipped out from underneath her. She never planned on jumping, but lost her footing on the icy ledge. At the last second, she was able to grab the rooftop, and struggled to pull herself up. "Someone, help me!" she cried as her fingers lost their grip.

Suddenly a hand clad in a black leather glove shot down and wrapped around her wrist. Another one grabbed her upper arm and yanked her back onto the roof. The second her feet found purchase, Ella pushed herself away from the edge, sending both her and her savior flying into the snow covering the roof. The man who saved her slammed onto his back, Ella landing on his chest.

"So we meet again," he said sarcastically. She screamed again and scrambled away from the Phantom. "Now was that really necessary?" he asked nonchalantly as he stood and brushed the snow from his clothes.

"You…you saved me?" Although it was meant as a statement, it came out as a question. "Why?"

Instead of answering, he glanced at her thin nightgown. Ella wrapped her arms protectively around herself and his intense gaze moved back up to stare into her eyes. "What I want to know is why you were hanging off the edge of the roof in the middle of the night while barely dressed in the middle of winter?"

"I…I slipped," she explained through chattering teeth as she shivered in the cold.

"So this had nothing to do with a certain someone's fainting spell earlier?" he asked with a smirk. Ella opened her mouth to reply, but she knew that somehow he would know if she was lying. "You want to sing don't you?" She turned away, but somehow that was all the response he needed. "I can help you."

His eyes were filled with sincerity, but his promises seemed too good to be true. Ella knew what he had done in the past, what he was capable of, and it scared her. "Help me? Help me like you helped Christine?"

Instantly she regretted her words. The Phantom's jaw tightened and his face twisted with rage. "Fine," he snapped. "Forgive me for trying to act like a human being for once. I forget, I'm not allowed to, because I'm a monster. Next time I'll just leave you to die!" He spun on his heel and stormed inside, leaving Ella alone in the snow.

"Wait!" she called after him, but he was already gone. "Wait!" When he didn't return, Ella pushed herself to her feet and started to chase after him. Before she could get very far, she slipped and crashed back down into the snow.

Instead of getting back up, she just curled up and stayed on the ground. What was the point? She had just pushed away the only one willing to help her and now she was completely on her own. Maybe it would have been better if she had just fallen. Ella closed her eyes and let the cold night envelop her.

* * *

_Why?_ Why did she have to bring up Christine? He honestly was just trying to help and she went and had to bring up the past. Erik had a strong urge to slam his head against the wall. This is why he lived in solitude. You couldn't be hurt by people if you were never around them.

Suddenly, he paused and cocked his head to one side, listening, but the opera house was silent as a tomb, which meant she was still on the roof unless she had decided to jump, which he knew she wouldn't. But it was so cold she would freeze to death if she didn't come inside soon. "You don't care," he mumbled to himself. "Just keep walking. It's not your problem." Erik made it about three more steps before swearing under his breath, turning around, and running back upstairs.

Bursting through the door, he found her lying on the ground, half buried in the snow. He swore again before scooping her up and carrying her inside. Her skin was ice cold and she was shaking uncontrollably, making Erik wonder if he was too late.

Within minutes, he had her inside her dressing room. He glanced at the mirror and contemplated bringing her down to the lair but decided against it. Instead he wrapped her tightly in the warm fabric of his cape before placing her down on the futon.

Erik turned to go, but glanced back at the shivering girl. He knew that just the cape wasn't going to be nearly enough for her. With a sigh, he went on a search for something warmer.

* * *

Meg stared at Ella's empty bed, wondering where her friend was hiding. She glanced up as the door opened, but immediately pretended to be asleep as a shadow crossed the room.

Holding her breath, she watched as the Phantom of the Opera grabbed the blankets off the deserted bed before leaving just as silently as he had come. Meg waited several seconds then climbed out of bed and followed him out the door.

As quietly as she could, Meg crept down the halls behind him. To her surprise, he opened the door to Ella's dressing room. She edged closer and her eyes grew wide when she saw her friend lying unconscious inside. The Phantom gently placed the blankets over Ella then stood next to her for a moment.

Before Meg could pull back into the shadows, he suddenly whirled around to face her. She backed up until she hit the wall as he approached her. "You know Miss Giry, you need to take better care of your friends," he said simply. "She nearly froze to death."

"Thank…thank you…for helping her." He seemed surprised by her statement, but recovered quickly and nodded. Without another word, the Phantom turned and disappeared into the night, leaving her standing there.

* * *

"Ella?" She stirred as she felt someone shaking her shoulder. "Ella, wake up!"

With a groan of protest, Ella opened her eyes and rolled over to face Meg. "I don't wanna," she murmured drowsily, before pulling the blanket over her head.

"Ella you need to get up! The performance starts in less than two hours!"

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Why didn't you get me up sooner?"

"We couldn't," Meg replied. "Honestly, for a while I thought you were dead. But if you needed that much sleep, are you even able to dance? I mean, you aren't sick are you?"

"I'm fine," Ella insisted. "Just give me a minute to get changed and I'll meet you out there."

After Meg left, Ella rubbed her temples. Despite what she told her friend, she didn't feel fine, but she couldn't afford to miss a performance.

Looking around her dressing room, she wondered how she had even gotten here. She remembered the rooftop, the Phantom, and yet she didn't remember coming back down. Tossing the blankets aside, she discovered a black cape. Apparently she had a little help getting back inside. So much for leaving her to die. Ella tossed the cape aside before grabbing her costume to change.

When she emerged from behind the screen, she gasped. The cape was gone, but she was totally alone. "Hello?" she called cautiously, but the room remained silent. "Fine, be that way," she snapped irritably.

Ella ran for the stage. "Slow down," a voice said in her ear. "Do you think you're even remotely ready to exert yourself after your 'adventure' last night?"

She looked around but as she suspected, there was no one in sight. "Well I don't have much of a choice do I?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Ignoring the Phantom, she continued through the opera house at a full sprint and skidded to a halt in front of the other dancers. "So she _is_ alive," Jacqueline commented sarcastically, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"That's enough," Madame Giry replied sternly before turning to Ella. "Are you sure you're capable of performing?"

Ella nodded. "Yes of course."

As she danced, it took all of her willpower not to freeze up. She knew that Archer was watching her every from the managers' box, and she could also feel a pair of eyes from Box Five staring at her even if she couldn't see anyone there.

"Brava!" the patron's voice rang out the second she was offstage. "You were magnificent! Now why don't you get changed and I'll take you to that dinner I promised."

"Well, I…uh…" The room began to spin, and Ella lurched forward and fell into his arms.

"My God, you're burning up," he exclaimed then began looking around wildly for help. "Madame Giry? Madame Giry, she's sick!"

"I think I'm going to have to give you a rain check on that dinner," Ella muttered before everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next two days, Ella drifted in and out of consciousness. She was vaguely aware of people saying her name. Although she couldn't tell if it was real or not, she thought she saw green eyes and white porcelain hovering over her.

When she had finally recovered, she found herself sitting to one side as everyone else rehearsed. Madame Giry had insisted she rest for one more day, but Ella couldn't stay in bed any longer, so here she was.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow flicker. Making sure no one saw here leave, Ella followed it to her dressing room. "We've been seeing an awful lot of each other, haven't we now?" the Phantom said dryly.

"I suppose we have," she cautiously replied. She looked away, somewhat frightened of his intense gaze. "Why me though?" Ella asked her voice little more than a whisper. "What did I ever do to attract your attention?"

"Your voice," he replied simply. "I am the Phantom of the Opera and this is my theater. And I wouldn't be taking very good care of my theater if I didn't get the best singers possible. Of course, Maria Bouvier is far from the worst singer this place has ever had, but you could easily surpass her abilities."

"No," Ella protested. "I can't."

"You can but you refuse to. You want to but you won't let yourself." She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. "It's not a matter of ability; it's a matter of self-confidence. Teaching someone how to sing is fairly easy. Teaching someone how to believe they can sing is something else, but it can be done."

"Nobody has bothered to care about me my whole life. So why do you? I'm nothing like Christine!"

For a second, the look of utter pain in his eyes made her regret her words. "No," he murmured quietly. "No you're not Christine." He pushed past her and started to leave, but pause and glanced back at her. "This is your last chance. If you want my help, be in the chapel at seven o'clock."

* * *

Nothing like Christine, Erik thought with a snort. If only she knew. There were more similarities between the two than he was willing to admit. They may be different physically: Ella's fiery hair fell in soft curls, her stormy grey eyes full of emotion as opposed to Christine's dark untamable hair and warm chocolate brown eyes, but they both had a certain innocence about them. Both came to the opera after a loss; he didn't know what Ella's was yet, but he could tell there was one.

Erik sighed heavily. As Ella asked, why was he doing this, why did he care? And unfortunately the answer was because she reminded him of Christine. That's why he couldn't bring himself to chase her away.

But was it worth getting too close to her? If she was nothing more than a replacement to Christine, then what was the point? He'd just get betrayed again. Not to mention it wasn't fair to Ella either.

From the shadows, he watched Ella return to the stage. Out of nowhere, the patron ran up to her. "Miss LeFontelle, how are you feeling? I was worried when I discovered just how ill you really were."

A delicate pink blush spread across her ivory cheeks. "Um, thank you for your concern, but I'm fine now. Really."

Erik forced himself to look away. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Why did this girl make him feel like this? She was just another ballet rat. There had been so many that came and went over the years, and the only one who had ever made him feel this way was Christine, and look how that had worked out.

Besides, Ella was a lot more guarded than Christine. There was no way she would have ever fallen for the Angel of Music trick. And she obviously was still extremely skittish around him, so clearly honesty wasn't the best policy. He groaned in frustration. Why did people have to be so difficult? If there weren't so hard to understand, his life would be a lot easier. Or at least if he were smart enough to keep away from them.

Hours later, he was pacing, still trying to sort his thoughts when he just happened to glance at the time. Five to seven. He promised Ella that he would be waiting for her. Weaving his way through the passages, Erik couldn't help but wondered why he was even bothering to check. Ella wasn't going to be there.

As he neared the room, he was astonished to hear that angelic voice singing. She was facing away from him, towards the door that most people used. But most people weren't the Phantom and therefore didn't know about the secret passage.

"_I hope you never lose your sense of wonder  
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger  
May you never take one single breath for granted  
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed  
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean  
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens  
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance_  
_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance_

_I hope you dance_  
_I hope you dance_

_I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance_  
_Never settle for the path of least resistance_  
_Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'_  
_Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'_  
_Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter_  
_When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider_  
_Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance_  
_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance_

_I hope you dance_  
_I hope you dance_  
_I hope you dance_  
_I hope you dance"_

He pushed the wall panel back in place and listened to her contently.

"_I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean  
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens  
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance  
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance_

_Dance_  
_I hope you…"_

Instead of finishing the song, her voice caught and she whirled around in surprise. "I wasn't actually expecting you to be here," Erik said.

"Well I guess that makes two of us," she whispered in reply.


	7. Chapter 7

"I wasn't actually expecting you to be here."

Ella was so intimidated by those intense eyes and just his very presence. Every movement he made was fluid, graceful, and powerful, like a predator stalking his prey, and that fact alone was enough to make her very nervous. "Well I guess that makes two of us."

"So why are you here?" he asked suddenly.

The question threw her off. Wasn't the answer obvious? "You were right. I want to sing, and you're the only person who can help me, the only person who's ever believed in my voice."

He raised an eyebrow. "And just how many people have ever actually heard your voice? No one can believe in what they don't know exists."

She looked away so that she wouldn't tell him everything. "Isn't that why I accepted your offer?" Ella finally replied.

"Is it?"

"My name's Ella," she said, switching subjects. She didn't want to get caught up in his mind games. Just because he seemed willing to help her didn't mean he wasn't trying to get inside her head.

"Yes, I know," he replied smoothly. His response sent her spinning off guard again. Granted, he _was_ the Phantom and probably knew everything and everyone in the theater, but still, just the fact he had paid so much attention to _her_ amazed her.

"So," Ella began cautiously. "What's yours?"

"My what?"

"Your name! You have to have one."

Now it was his turn to be surprised. "No one's ever asked me before."

What kind of life could a person lead where no one even bothered to attempt learn your name, Ella wondered. No wonder he stayed in hiding. "Well I'm asking you now. I swear I'll never tell another soul."

His eyes searched hers for a moment, as if he were trying to judge her sincerity. Finally he took a deep breath. "Erik."

She cocked her head to one side and considered it for a moment before giving a brief nod. "It suits you." A few minutes passed in silence. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Nothing," he answered.

"What?!" she asked in shock. "What do you mean nothing?"

"I mean nothing," he replied frankly. "You just got over that fever and by now you ought to have learned what happens if you strain yourself too much."

"So that's it? You said you were going to help me!"

"And I will. But it's not an overnight process. It'll take time and patience," Erik said. "Tonight was just to make sure I wasn't wasting my time by continuing to offer you my assistance."

"So you decided to waste my time instead?"

He smirked smugly. "But I didn't, did I? You're already making progress."

Ella was confused. "I don't follow."

"You haven't screamed or run away yet." The confidence of his response and the fact it was utterly unexpected cause Ella to smile, but she turned away so hopefully he couldn't see that she found his comment amusing.

When she turned back around, she was completely alone. "Really?" she cried in exasperation.

"We'll be in touch," Erik's voice rang out.

After a few moments of silence, Ella decided he wasn't coming back. She headed back up to the dormitories, praying she hadn't been horribly missed. Luckily the only person who seemed to pay attention to her absence was Meg. "There you are! I was starting to get worried," the blonde said.

"I just went on a walk," she replied to set her friend's mind at ease. Ella looked up and saw Jacqueline glaring at her. "What's her problem?"

"Oh, when you were sick, I saw her trying to cozy up to your friend 'Monsieur Handsome Patron'. I think she's jealous that he's interested in you and now that you're feeling better, you're competition again," Meg explained.

She raised her voice just enough for everyone to hear. "Well, Jacqueline can have him. As sweet as Monsieur Dubois is, I'm just not interested. Perhaps eventually she could catch his fancy."

As the other girls snickered at her remark, Jacqueline's glare grew even more intense. If looks could kill, Ella would have been dead. "You've been fighting a handful of battles," Meg whispered. "But now you just made it a war."

"It's been a war," Ella whispered back. "I just returned fire for once."

"I'm proud of you for sticking up for yourself. If you keep doing that, maybe she'll leave you alone."

"I don't even know what possessed me to say that."

Meg smiled. "Well whatever it is, keep it up."

Ella shrugged before preparing for bed. As she combed her hair, her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with the Phantom, or as she learned, Erik. She had felt extremely comfortable with him, and that worried her. Was this what he did to Christine? Earned her trust then tried to take advantage of her? But he didn't seem capable of that. She decided that she would proceed with caution for now.

"Ella?"

She jumped, shaken out of her thoughts. "Oh, I'm sorry Meg! I just was daydreaming. Did you say something?"

"You have such a pretty voice."

"Wha…what?" Did Meg somehow know about her time with Erik? Was their secret meeting not as secret as they believed?

"You were humming just now, and it was amazing. You, if you tried, if you auditioned for a lead, you could really be someone someday."

Ella looked in the mirror, but instead of her own reflection, she could see those deep emerald eyes, that dark hair, the stark white mask of her new tutor. "Maybe someday I will."


	8. Chapter 8

As the music began again, the ballerinas quickly restarted their routine, preparing for tomorrow night's performance. Erik couldn't help but smirk as he watched Ella twirl and leap across the stage. In the past few days, she had gotten visibly better at dancing. Not enough to be the best, not quite yet, but Ella was beginning to shine just a little more. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

After rehearsal finished, Ella hung back just like she had every day for the past week. Erik stayed hidden in the shadows, waiting to see what she was going to do. For a few minutes she waited in silence, her eyes scanning the theater, waiting for a sign. When she didn't receive one, she began humming a soft melody, growing louder and louder the more time passed. Eventually she sighed and walked away.

When Ella vanished from sight, Erik stepped out into the open and found himself staring in the direction she had gone. For now, he had been holding back to make sure that she was really serious about wanting his help. After spending the week unknowingly under his observation, Ella had earned a real lesson, Erik decided. With a swish of his cape, he made his way to her dressing room.

He could see Ella's shadow through her dressing screen, so he slipped out from behind the mirror, and moved quickly and silently as a ghost, placed a note on her vanity, and was able to disappear back into the secret passage before she emerged. She snatched up the note, her eyes dancing around the room, searching for his hiding spot. Erik smirked, knowing she would never suspect the glass mirror. Finally she shrugged and placed the note aside, but Erik swore he saw a small smile touch her lips for a brief moment, and he knew instantly that she would answer his call.

* * *

Ella was getting tired of waiting. She began to hum, hoping it was enough to call Erik to her because she was still too afraid to sing, but the theater around her remained silent. For a moment, she wondered if that meant there was still someone here, but eventually she admitted he wasn't coming.

"Erik where are you?" she wondered aloud. Their meeting had been a week ago. He had promised they'd be in touch, but the only contact they had since was that Ella had felt watched ever since, but honestly, that was nothing new.

She sighed and entered her dressing room. Feeling slightly dejected, she grabbed her dress and went behind the screen to change. As she was finishing, a slight creak sent her on high alert. It sounded almost like a footstep. Cautiously, Ella stepped out, wondering who was in here with her. To her surprise, it was completely empty. She rolled her eyes at her own jumpiness. This whole Phantom affair had her more paranoid than usual.

Ella reached for her hairbrush, but her hand froze midair when she spotted the cream-colored envelope lying next to it. She picked it up, turning it over, before looking around again. Erik truly was a phantom, able to get in and out, nearly undetectable, without leaving a trace. Giving up on looking for him when she knew she never would find him, Ella turned back to the note.

_Same time, same place_

_E_

Well that was blunt_,_ she thought with a smile. For a moment, she wondered why he signed it _E_ because according to the rumors, he always signed his notes _O.G._ and he always sealed them with a red wax skull. Then she realized that the note was vague enough that if anyone were to find it, no one would be able to guess its real meaning or who exactly E was. No one would ever suspect that it was talking about a singing lesson with the Phantom of the Opera.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. Ella couldn't help but try to picture what Erik had planned for her first lesson. After all, he said she was perfectly capable of singing. How could you teach someone to not be scared of performing? Because she wasn't really scared of performing, she was just absolutely terrified of the audience.

"Ella, are you okay?" Meg asked, bringing Ella out of her head again. "You've been so spaced off today, it's not like you. You're not getting sick again are you?"

"No I'm fine," she replied with a shake of her head. "My head's just not entirely in one spot today." Ella glanced at the clock: nearly seven. Erik would be waiting for her, which meant she needed to separate herself from her friend.

Luckily she didn't have to. The door to their room opened and Madame Giry walked in and Meg ran over to her mother for the two to discuss the upcoming performance. With both of them distracted, Ella quickly slipped out of the dorms and made her way down to the chapel.

When she reached the small stone room, she saw Erik studying to stained glass window intently. She took a deep breath to announce her arrival but he seemed to sense her presence. "I was starting to wonder if you got cold feet," he said without turning around.

"I'm sorry," Ella apologized. "I needed to get Meg to leave me alone long enough for me to sneak away."

He raised an eyebrow. "We aren't going to be interrupted are we?" Erik asked his meaning not lost on her.

She shook her head frantically. "I didn't tell anyone this was where I was going and the only person who ever follows me seems to be you." Ella looked up into his eyes. "But you'd been so quiet lately; I was beginning to think that you decided I wasn't worth it."

"I was just keeping track of your progress. I wanted to see how much you were capable of on your own."

"I…I don't understand," Ella stammered. "What progress?"

"Your dancing has improved." Her dancing? She had just been trying to attract Erik's attention because she thought he had abandoned her. "And you're beginning to stand up for yourself whenever Jacqueline torments you."

Ella sighed. "If you haven't noticed, she's beginning to torment me even more."

"Because you're her biggest competition," Erik explained. "I'm not the only one who's noticed your improvement. Although I knew if you really wanted my help, you were going to get better if I waited."

Ella couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance. It seemed like he knew what she was going to do three steps before she did! "Alright, since we're both here, what are we going to do first?"

"With the basics obviously."

"I thought you said I already knew how to sing!" Ella protested "If that's the case…"

Erik placed a gloved finger on her lips to silence her. "Who's teaching who?" he asked then pointed to the door. "If you don't like my methods then leave!"

"I'm sorry, I'll stay," Ella whispered.

"I thought so. But I'll not stand you questioning me. Understand?" Ella nodded. "Good."

For the next half hour, Erik talked her through several warm-ups before moving on to scales. At first, she could barely get a note out under his strict gaze, but with a little coaxing, he was able to get her to sing quietly.

Suddenly he reached out and gently lifted her chin. Ella instinctively stiffened, unsure of his intentions. "Stand straighter," was all he said. "It'll with help you breathe deeper and help you hold the notes better." She nodded, and then obeyed. When she finished, he stood silent for a moment. "It's a good start," he finally announced "You're finished for now.

Ella turned to go, but paused by the door. "Erik?" When he looked up at her, she offered him a small smile. "Thank you."

"I'll tell you when your next lesson is," he replied cooly.


	9. Chapter 9

_Well aren't you lucky? Two updates in one week? That's gotta be a new record or something. Anyway, short chapter, but when inspiration hits at 11 at night and won't leave you alone, you really aren't concerned about length so much as you are finishing the thing so you can sleep. Besides, like I said, you're already getting an update early, what more do you want? XD (kidding!) Read and Review like always, and if you have and questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, you can always leave them in a Review or PM me! Love you all!_

_~nibblesfan_

* * *

Hidden in the darkness of the catwalks, Erik watched Ella run through the now empty theater to get back to the ballet dorms before she was missed. When she was out of sight, he exhaled slowly, realizing he had been holding his breath unintentionally.

He had to concede, Ella was even more talented than he had originally given her credit for. It had been obvious since he first heard her sing that she had natural talent, but even so, he had been planning on helping her improve it as well as get over her stage fright. But now, working with her voice one-on-one, he discovered there wasn't going to be a whole lot that needed help, technique-wise.

And God, that voice, that voice was going to be his undoing! Ever since Chris-…_she_ left, Erik had forced himself to become an unfeeling stone column to survive the pain of the heartbreak. Yet Ella's voice called to him, and he could already feel cracks beginning to form. If he didn't get himself under control soon and keep himself in check, Erik was terrified he was going to fall and fall hard.

Ella was sweet, shy, pure, vulnerable, and talented. All those traits were the things that drew him to Christine years ago, and now were pulling him towards Ella. "Get ahold of yourself," he growled. "She recoiled when you touched her, remember?" _But then she smiled at you and thanked you,_ a voice in the back of his mind reminded him. _That doesn't seem like disgust_.

Erik cursed himself for being so pathetically weak. "She's just a pretty face with a pretty voice. That's all she is, that's all she'll ever be," he repeated the entire way back to his lair. "There's no way she could ever love you. She'd run away just like Christine did."

He stared in the mirror, and sang to himself a reminder of what happened the last time he had gotten too attached to someone.

"_To be involved with this  
Would surely not be wise  
For in the final word  
She means nothing to me  
The trick must be  
To just avoid her eyes  
And the question  
What she means to…_"

Erik shook his head, frantically trying to clear his mind, trying to rid it of the young redhead who was plaguing his every thought.

"_Who is this child?  
What does she mean to me?  
I close my eyes  
And still her face I see  
She is but one  
Her kind is everywhere  
Can't you see there's no way I should care?  
And you see it in the night  
And you feel that it's out there  
It's the arcing of a life  
And it's hanging in the air  
Though I try to close my eyes  
And pretend that I don't know  
In my heart I just can't let it go  
There has to be another way for me  
A way that leads from this insanity  
A way that leads from my destruction as I say  
Can you see it in the night?  
Can you feel that it's out there?  
It's the arcing of a life  
And it's hanging in the air  
Though I try to close my eyes  
And pretend that I don't know  
In my heart I just can't let it  
Go"_

He sat down next to his organ and sighed in frustration. Absent-mindedly, he tapped a few keys. Then a few more. Then a whole song, then two, and even more. Erik's eyes grew wide when he realized he was playing, _really_ playing, for the first time since Christine left. Not only did he now have a new protégé, he apparently also had a new muse. He shifted the song to something softer, lighter. Something that, with a little work of course, could perhaps be a song for his new pupil.

Upstairs, Ella was tossing and turning violently in her bed, her mind far from the Opera Populaire. '_Papa!_' she could hear a young girl scream. '_Stop! You're hurting him! No! You're going to kill him! Papa!'_

Ella sat up with a gasp, her chest heaving. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself after the nightmare, her eyes darting around the room to make sure she hadn't woken anyone else up. When she confirmed that all the other dancers were still asleep, Ella buried her face in her pillow.

Several tears slid down her cheeks as she tried in vain to remove that image from her thoughts. The one she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life. She was afraid to sleep again tonight, because every time she closed her eyes, there was a cold, dead stare waiting for her. "I'm sorry," she whispered into her pillow. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I couldn't stop him. Please forgive me."

For what seemed like hours, Ella remained tormented by the awful nightmare. Suddenly a sound drifted through the silent night. It sounded like a piano, but it was so soft, Ella was almost positive she was dreaming it. The music was warm and soothing, and within mere minutes, it had lulled her into a much more peaceful sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Ella descended down the stairs to the chapel, hoping she wasn't late. It had been three weeks since her first lesson, and she learned rather quickly that Erik didn't tolerate lateness. The one time she had been, Erik lectured her for nearly ten minutes then sent her away, refusing to teach her that day. "I'm sorry!" she said, running into the room. "Madame Giry wanted us to practice more and we just finished!"

She sighed, realizing the room was empty. Had Erik gotten angry and left? But she was only a few minutes late. Maybe some matter upstairs had distracted him and he was delayed as well. It was probably a better idea to stay and warm up than to risk Erik coming and her not being there.

After running through her warm-ups like Erik taught her, Ella decided to practice the song he was having her learn. If he really had left, then the least she could do to try to appease him later was to be able to prove she was serious and was sorry.

"_I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.  
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know  
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way  
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace  
To a place where we'll be safe"_

As she was about to begin the second verse, a rich, smooth, masculine voice started the Italian that her part was supposed to be a duet with.

"_La luce che tu hai"_

It was the most beautiful thing Ella had ever heard. It made her heart sing and her knees weak. She turned and saw Erik standing there, waiting for her to continue. Instead, Ella stared at him, her mouth agape as she struggled to make her voice work. "On stage you'll be expected to sing with others," Erik said. "You need to learn how to sing duets. Now continue." Ella swallowed hard, nodded, and then continued with her part, while Erik replied with the Italian line.

"_I pray we'll find your light"  
"Nel cuore restera"  
"And hold it in our hearts"  
"A ricordarci che"  
"When stars go out each night"  
"Eterna stella sei"_

_"Let this be our prayer"_  
_"Quanta fede c'e"_  
_"When shadows fill our day"_

_"We ask that life be kind  
And watch us from above  
Everyone finds love  
We hope each soul will find  
Around and inside  
Another soul to love  
Let this be our prayer_"

Erik's song blended with hers for the last refrain. Ella could barely finish, but somehow managed, relying on the confidence that radiated from him.

"_Let this be our prayer, just like every child  
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace  
Give us faith so we'll be safe  
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace  
Give us faith so we'll be safe"_

When they finished, Ella waited breathlessly for Erik to say something. "You fidget when you sing," he finally said. "You need to learn to control that."

She bowed her head in an attempt to hide her disappointment. "I'll try my best." She tried so hard to please him but he always found some flaw with her. Erik seemed to demand nothing but perfection, a perfection she couldn't provide, no matter how hard she tried.

Erik looked at her sternly. "Do more than try."

After a few moments of waiting for further instruction, but receiving none, she grew brave enough to do something since the moment she met him. "May I ask you a question?" Ella asked cautiously.

"I won't guarantee that you'll receive an answer."

She took a deep breath, unsure how to word her question without infuriating him. "What would happen if I, hypothetically speaking of course, asked you…asked you to take off your mask?"

His jaw visibly clenched, and for a moment, Ella could see a man capable of committing everything the Phantom had been accused of. For that moment, Ella had never been so scared in her life. Then he turned away and exhaled sharply before facing her again, his facial expression calm again, but he was clearly still agitated. "You said this was hypothetical?" Ella nodded quickly. "Well then hypothetically speaking, I wouldn't recommend it." There was enough of a razor in his voice that Ella didn't dare challenge him.

Before either one was willing to break the awkward silence between them, a loud squeal echoed down the staircase, followed by another, and another. Ella glanced at Erik, but he seemed just as surprised as she was. "Go," he ordered. "Whatever it is, it would look suspicious if you remained missing."

"Until next time then," she murmured before leaving. She ran upstairs wondered what all the commotion was about. Already she could hear shrieks and shouts from the ballerinas, but she couldn't make out what they were saying quite yet.

On the middle of the stage, there was a large crowd, mostly ballerinas and chorus members. When she grew closer, she could see an unfamiliar man talking with the managers and shaking hands with Archer. Ella spotted Meg in the crowd and tapped her shoulder. "Meg, what on earth is going on? Who is that?"

* * *

Erik made his way through the tunnels, trying to figure out what the uproar was about. After all, the Opera Ghost had been fairly quiet lately, so he knew it wasn't anything he had done. From the safety of the shadows, he watched the crowd that was gathering but couldn't see what was going on, and honestly, he didn't really care. The opera staff got worked up about the littlest things, that's what made his job so easy.

Finding himself bored already, he turned and made his way back to the chapel, Ella on his mind. He was angry that she had asked about his mask, but at least she had the decency to ask instead of ripping it off. And he had a feeling that she had learned her lesson and wouldn't be bringing it up again.

The light sound of footsteps reached his ear. By the sound, he could tell immediately that it was a dancer, but he didn't think it was Ella. He slipped into the passage behind the wall, but instead of leaving, curiosity got the best of him.

When he saw the intruder's face, he felt like he had been struck. She reached up and tucked a few of her wild, chocolate brown curls behind her ear as she scanned the room. "Angel," she whispered. "I know you're here. "

"Christine," he breathed.


	11. Chapter 11

Erik stared at Christine and she back at him, both waiting for the other to move first. He had always thought that if she returned, it would shatter him into a heartbroken mess. Instead he just felt numb. Finally he couldn't take the silence. "Why are you here?" he asked hoarsely.

"Raoul was in town for business, and I thought I'd visit. This was my home for years after all. Everyone here is like my family."

"But why are you _here_?"

"Because I was hoping I wouldn't find you," she replied, her voice gentle but full of sadness. "I was hoping you wouldn't be here. I was hoping you had moved on. You deserve so much better than this."

"Better than what?" he asked bitterly. "I'm only living half a life! There's nothing left of me after you shattered my heart!"

Christine sighed and looked at him, her eyes full of sorrow. "You deserve someone better than me. Someone who can love you, the way you need. You have so much to give the world through your music and instead you choose to remain here where you can't reach your full potential." Her eyes welled up with tears of pity. "You wanted me and my song to fly, but how can you if you won't let your own?"

Erik wanted to scream. The pain he had expected earlier hit him full swing. Why didn't she understand? He had never wanted anyone else, he wanted her! "I LOVED YOU!" he roared. "I gave you everything I had and more! I gave you my music and turned you into a star! What did that boy do for you? _NOTHING!_ I offered you my heart and soul and you still cast me aside! And now you dare tell me I don't deserve this? I may as well rot here for the rest of my life because without you I have no reason to live!"

"Loved," she murmured. She raised her gaze to his. "You said loved."

"I told you," he spat. "You destroyed me. There's nothing left of my heart."

"You knew that I wasn't truly right for you. You knew I would have stayed but you let me go with Raoul because you knew neither of us would have been happy together." He turned back to Christine, but she wasn't done yet. "I know that somewhere in this world is a girl capable of loving you. And I'm sure she'd want to. But when that girl comes along, you need to let her. Otherwise you'll spend your life hurting when you don't have to."

His thought's instinctively flicked to Ella, but he knew better. "Why are you really here?" he demanded. "This wasn't really a spontaneous visit. Something brought you here. What is it?"

"I came to tell Madame Giry and Meg…and you… I came to say that I'm…that I'm going to be a mother."

Erik could feel what was left of his heart being ripped out of his chest and shredded in that one sentence. "Go," he whispered.

"What?"

Erik's voice tremored from the rage and pain that coursed through his veins. "Take your precious Vicomte and leave!" he boomed, his voice ricocheting across the walls, and for a split second he wondered if anyone had heard him, but at this point, he was so enraged, he didn't care.

"Angel…"

"Get out!" he screamed. "I never want to see you again!" Without another word, Christine whirled around and ran. As she vanished from view, Erik began crying bitter tears of regret. He knew that he had truly lost her now, and nothing he could do would ever be able to change that.

* * *

Ella headed back to the chapel, wondering if Erik was still there. She hadn't been able to get much out of Meg or out of anyone for that matter, so perhaps he knew who that strange man was. "I LOVED YOU!" she heard as she started to descend down the stairs. Poking her head around the corner, she saw Erik, his eyes wild with rage, and a beautiful brunette woman who looked on the verge of tears.

It only took about two seconds for Ella to put everything together. Obviously that woman must be Christine Daae and therefore the man upstairs with the managers had to be the Vicomte de Chagny. But the expression on Erik's face was enough to frighten her, so she ran before either noticed she was there.

When Ella reached her dressing room, she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to keep herself from crying. She didn't know why, but the fact that Christine here upset her deeply. She threatened the bond Ella had been developing with Erik. Then she wondered why on earth she cared. There was no reason for her to feel this jealous, but she was.

Then it hit her. The one thing she had sworn she wasn't going to let happen. She had let Erik get into her head, and worse, he was working his way into her heart. He was had become a drug for her, one that she was going to have a very hard time giving up. Is this what had happened to Christine?

There was a soft knock on the door. She quickly wiped her eyes then opened the door. "Hey Meg. Who's your friend?" she asked, gesturing to the brunette.

"Ella this is my friend Christine. Christine this is Ella. She's the newest addition to the chorus and this is her dressing room now."

"It's a pleasure Madame," Ella replied.

Christine smiled. "Please, call me Christine. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"I've heard so much about you. Meg's always talking about you. You must have been such good friends. I really don't mean to be rude, but I was just on my way out. It was lovely meeting you Christine. Meg, I'll see you later." She offered them a brief smile before bolting down the hall.

As she fled, she wondered what happened. Christine didn't seem like someone capable of destroying someone, but Erik didn't seem like someone unstable enough to destroy the entire opera without some cause. What had happened between them?

Lost in her thoughts, she wasn't paying any attention to where she was going until she ran into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I guess I just wasn't paying any attention. Oh, Archer! I didn't mean to!"

"It's quite alright," he replied with a laugh. "It just so happens that I was looking for you anyway. I was wondering if perhaps you had any plans for this evening."

She hesitated, but his easygoing smile won her over. Ella just needed to feel wanted for the moment. "Yes, I do." His face fell, until Ella continued. "You still owe me a dinner."

His grin returned. "I'll return for you in half an hour."


	12. Chapter 12

"Must you go so soon?" Meg asked with a pout.

"I'm afraid so," Christine replied with a sad smile. "You must come visit sometime soon!"

"I would love to!" she squealed. "If Raoul doesn't object of course."

"Now why would I do that?" he asked. "You are always welcome Miss Giry."

Christine pulled her friend aside. "Meg, your friend Ella, is she always like that?"

"Always like what?"

"She just ran off. Was it something I said?"

"It wasn't you." Meg shrugged. "I guess she is just like that. She's really shy, and some of the others have been taking advantage of that. Don't take it too personally. And she does run off quite a bit."

"Where does she go?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Like I said, she is unbelievably shy, so I think she just goes off to spend some time alone."

Christine was afraid of that answer. She thought she recognized that look in Ella's eyes, and if she wasn't careful, the girl could be in more danger than she realized. "Well take care of her. She's lucky to have a friend like you. Trust me, I'd know."

"I'm going to miss you Christine."

The two exchanged tearful goodbyes and Christine waved until the Opera Populaire was out of sight. As she sat back in the carriage, she realized that if her suspicions were right, then Ella was the newest student of the Angel of Music. Perhaps she was the one who could heal his hurting heart.

* * *

Erik still couldn't believe that he had chased away the only woman he would ever love. How stupid was he? Now his life was truly over. It felt like someone had shoved a knife into his chest and left it there.

He vanished from sight as he heard two sets of footsteps. The knife twisted itself as he saw who it was. So much for not being interested in him, Erik thought with a scowl as the patron walked Ella through the entryway of the opera. The patron (Archer, Erik believed his name was) kissed the back of her hand before bidding her good night and the two parted ways. Erik could feel the anger boiling inside him. Unlike Christine, he never told Ella anything was forbidden. He assumed that because she was so shy, suitors wouldn't be an issue. Apparently he was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to control this fresh surge of jealousy. It was just because Christine was here, he told himself. He was angry with her, not Ella. This pain was leftover from that betrayal. He hoped. Erik knew he couldn't take another heartbreak.

* * *

"So how'd it go?"

Ella could feel her cheeks flush as she saw Meg waiting for her. The blonde was lying on her stomach on her bed, her chin propped onto her elbows, waiting expectantly. "How'd what go?"

"Oh don't be bashful, I saw you with the patron. You finally went out with him! Where did you go? What's he like? Did he propose yet?"

"What?!" Ella cried. "Meg it was just dinner! Why would even think he would propose?"

"It was a joke," she replied, laughing at Ella's reaction. "Although he does strike me as rather forward so who knows? So tell me, how did it go?"

"It was okay," Ella said with a shrug.

"Okay?!" Meg asked in surprise. "Just okay? What happened? Was he mean to you? Is he missing a personality?"

"No he was incredibly kind to me and was wonderfully sweet."

"Then what went wrong?"

"Nothing went wrong," Ella insisted. "He's kind, sweet, sensitive..."

"Not to mention devastatingly handsome and wealthy," Meg added with a grin.

Ella ignored her. "Anyway there's nothing wrong with him and I felt like our dinner was out of a fairytale. There's every reason for me to swoon at the sight of him, and yet I'm just not interested in him like that. Don't get me wrong, he's wonderful, just not for me."

"Oh come on," Meg smiled. "You said yourself, he's wonderful and it was just dinner. Give him another chance. I'm almost certain he'll ask you to dinner again. And the masquerade is coming up in about a month, and he might ask you to that too!"

"Meg, honestly, it was just a one-time deal." Ella wondered if Erik knew that she went out with Archer. She wondered how he would react. Would he be angry with her or would he even care?

"A one-time thing? You've got that face again."

"What are you talking about?"

"Every so often you get a super-dreamy look like you're in another place. Whether or not you're willing to admit it, somebody's falling in love."

"I am not!" Ella protested.

"Deny it all you want, I'd recognize that love-sick look anywhere. Christine had it when she was with Raoul and you're starting to develop one."

"Nuh uh! I'm not in love with anyone!"

Meg smirked. "Right."

* * *

"Again," Erik ordered. Without question, she restarted the song. The echoes of Christine's voice still floated in the back of his mind, and he was desperate to get rid of it. Ella's voice was beautiful but it just wasn't enough. "Again!" he commanded even though she hadn't finished yet.

"But…"

"I said: do it again!"

"Erik, if you could just tell me what's wrong, I'll do my best to fix it," Ella pleaded. "Whatever it is, let me try."

"Do it again!" Erik snapped, losing his temper.

She flinched at his outburst. That slight instinctive movement screamed volumes for Erik. Suddenly it everything made sense. There was a reason this girl was terrified of people. How many times had he done the exact same thing himself when he was a young child locked in a cage? All thoughts of Christine vanished in that one moment. What he wanted to know was how on earth could anyone hurt such a sweet innocent girl?

* * *

Ella stared at Erik, utterly terrified. Then the anger she saw in his eyes vanished and was replaced with pain and understanding. In that instant, she realized he knew. "Ella," he said his voice gentle. "What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied, unable to meet his eyes.

"Ella, tell me."

"There's nothing to tell."

Erik stepped in front of the door, cutting off her escape. "Don't make me ask again," he warned.

"It doesn't matter," she replied turning away.

He gripped her forearms firmly, his eyes pleading with her. "It matters to me." Her breath caught. She wondered if he cared about her more than he had been leading on.

"Erik…" she sighed.

"Ella, tell me who hurt you."

She could feel her eyes well up with tears. Erik looked at her expectantly, waiting for his answer, one he wasn't going to get, not today. Ella tugged herself out of his grasp, stared at him for a moment, before turning and running. "Ella!" she heard him call but she kept going and didn't stop until she found a deserted corner of the theater where she curled up and began to sob.


	13. Chapter 13

Ella took a deep shuddering breath and tried to get herself under control." It wasn't Erik's fault," she told herself. "He didn't mean to bring up those memories. He didn't know."

A dark shadow fell over her. "Ella?"

Looking up, she saw Erik standing above her. "What do you want?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"Who said I'm upset?"

"I'm guessing since that you ran out and you've been crying for the past hour, you're upset," he replied as he knelt next to her, his voice soft. "But someone's hurt you and I need to know who."

"It doesn't matter," she said with a shake of her head.

"Obviously it does."

She studied his face and saw in his eyes a similar pain, but it didn't surprise her. After all, it takes one to know one. "Who hurt you?" she asked.

As expected, he remained closed off from her. He grew rigid and pulled away. "That has nothing to do with this."

"Doesn't it?" she asked with exasperation. "Do you really expect me to pour out my heart and soul by telling you everything without question? Because it doesn't work like that. I don't go around sharing my life story with every random person that steps into my life. And that includes you."

Suddenly she needed space. Ella stood up, pushed him aside, and began heading for the dorms. "Ella…" Erik began but his voice faded away.

His tone made her want to turn around, throw herself in his arms, and confess everything. Instead she focused all her willpower to get her feet to continue moving forward. "Just leave me alone." Her voice broke with the emotion that threatened to spill out of her at any moment. "Please." Instead of waiting for a response, she took off and ran back upstairs.

"Are you alright?" Meg asked when Ella walked into the dormitories.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Why do you ask?"

"You look awfully upset."

She shrugged. "It's been a long day," she explained, offering Meg a faint smile.

"Amen to that!" her friend replied.

* * *

Erik stared in the direction she had gone long after Ella left. When she had been before him, he could tell that she was on the verge of tears. Part of him, well actually most of him, had wanted to pull her close and…and….NO! He already decided he wasn't going to do that. But if that was the case, why was it so irritatingly hard to just let her walk away?

Perhaps it was her innocence that intrigued him. After all, it was now blatantly obvious she had a horrible past, and yet she went around acting like there was no evil in the world. Ella knew what he was, knew what he had done, but she was one of the few who could be bothered to treat him like a human being.

And then of course, he just had to go and frighten her away. He didn't mean to, but whoever had dared to lay a hand on her needed to pay. Erik wondered who it was since she wouldn't tell him. Then he wondered if it wasn't that she wouldn't tell him, maybe she couldn't. It was possible that whatever had happened was too much for her to cope with bringing up.

* * *

"Oh my goodness I'll be so glad when we're finally done with this show!" Meg cried. "I hate the music, I hate the costumes, and I hate the routine."

Ella couldn't help but smile. "Is there anything you do like?"

"I like the fact that we have someone who can sing as the lead this time," she replied. "The last time we did this show, La Carlotta, was the star. Trust me; that was unbearable. You are so lucky that you came after she left."

"I'm sure that's a slight exaggeration. If she were the lead soprano for as long as she was, she had to have some talent."

"I never exaggerate!" Meg protested. "Okay, well maybe a little, but I am not exaggerating about that. You ask anyone who was here; they'll tell you she was awful." Suddenly Meg nudged her. "Look, here comes you friend."

True enough, Archer strode up to the dancers. "Hello Ella. Miss Giry," he acknowledged with a nod. "Ella, I was wondering if I might accompany you to dinner again this evening."

"I…I…uh," Ella stammered.

"She'd love to!" Meg interjected.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. "How about I pick you up at the main staircase at seven o'clock?"

"Well, actually…" Ella started, but Meg replied with "Sounds perfect!" at the same time.

"Perfect. I'll see you tonight!"

The second he was out of view, Ella turned to her friend. "Meg why did you do that?" she hissed. "You know I'm not interested in him!"

"You didn't seem to have had such a horrid time with him the other night did you?" Meg countered. "You've seemed down in the dumps for a few days now, and a little fun might cheer you up. Besides, it's just dinner. It's not like he asked you to a ball. Although I'm still betting on him taking you to the masquerade."

"Meg, I appreciate the effort, I really do, but I don't need you mingling in my love life," Ella said with a sigh. "Last time I felt like a bumbling idiot because I couldn't talk half the time. Luckily he seemed to do it all for me."

"You were just nervous because it was a first date. This time will be better."

"Look, if that's not a good enough excuse for you, what about Jacqueline? She's got her eye on him and she already hates me!"

"She's left you alone for nearly a week now."

"Trust me, I don't think that's the last I've heard from her."

Meg just laughed. "Now you're just paranoid."

The pair walked into Ella's dressing room. Ella's breath caught when she saw the snow white rose lying on the vanity. "Aw look," Meg said. "He left you a rose. Isn't that sweet! Now you have to go with him!"

Ella picked up the unmarked cream envelope that was under the flower's stem. "I don't think Archer left it," she murmured.

"Who else would? Is that a note? Who's it from?"

"It's unsigned," Ella replied, still staring at the message.

"Ooh, a secret admirer? Man, you aren't lucky. You're just catching everyone's attention. Maybe I should start getting dating advice from you," Meg teased. "Now get dressed, you have a date to get ready for."

Ella folded up the stationary, the two words making her want to seek out Erik. _I'm sorry_ it said. Nothing more. Nothing less. Yet it was all it needed to say.

A couple hours later, she found herself fighting with Meg. "C'mon Ella, it's no big deal. It's just dinner. Humor me. It wouldn't kill you to have a little fun. If you aren't careful, you may enjoy yourself."

"Alright, alright, alright I'll go!" she cried.

"Good luck on your date!"

With a sigh, she made her way downstairs towards the main staircase. She thought she heard a set of footsteps behind her, but ignored them. It was still early enough, it was probably a maid or another of the cleaning staff. As she started down a staircase that would take her to the entryway, Ella suddenly felt a pair of hands against her back.

* * *

"Archer?" Meg cried, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be going to dinner with Ella."

"I can't find her," He explained. "I thought perhaps she was still up here getting ready. Have you seen her?"

She shook her head. "She left nearly fifteen minutes ago. But she can't be very far. How about I help you look for her?" As Meg led him away, she wondered where Ella disappeared to. Okay, maybe she wasn't so excited about this date, but it seemed odd that she would just not show up. Especially after agreeing to go.

* * *

Erik looked in Ella's dressing room, wondering how she reacted to his note. He could see the flower still lying on her vanity, the letter next to it. So she read it, and hadn't destroyed it. That had to be a good sign right? But where was she now?

"Good luck on your date!" he heard Meg Giry shout.

A date? She must be with the patron again, Erik thought venomously. He turned on his heel and stormed off. He had been through this before and had zero intentions of doing so again.

As he headed back down to his home, he heard a single scream pierce the night. That made it twice in once week something had happened without his knowledge. With a swish of his cape, Erik spun around and dashed to investigate. Whatever just happened wasn't good.


	14. Chapter 14

Erik pulled into the shadows when he heard someone coming. A dark haired girl scurried past him. He frowned, realizing it was Jacqueline. He was almost positive that she hadn't been the girl who screamed, but based on how fast she was moving, she was certainly involved. A soft cry echoed up to him. Wondering what on earth Jacqueline had done, he ran to the bottom of the staircase.

Ella's face was white as a sheet, her eyes shut with pain as she tried to climb the stairs. It took Erik a whole two seconds to process what happened. Jacqueline must have pushed Ella down the stairs, and obviously Ella was hurt.

She cried out again one of her legs gave out from beneath her then squeaked in surprise when she fell against Erik. "Easy now," he said gently helping her sit down. "You don't want to hurt yourself any more than you already are."

"I was afraid no one was going to realize I was missing," she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shirt, causing Erik to jump at the sudden contact. "I thought I was going to either have to crawl back or be stuck here till morning."

Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her to return her embrace. "Well I'm here now."

* * *

Ella screamed as she landed hard on her ankle. Looking up to the top of the stairs, she saw a figure running away. Someone had pushed her! But who? And why?

Then Ella realized that was the least of her problems at the moment. Attempting to stand wasn't working out so good she discovered as shooting pains shot up her leg, making her cry out in agony. Her ankle had been definitely twisted and was sprained if not broken. And unfortunately it was entirely possible that no one would come this way until morning. She needed to find some way back or she could be alone here all night.

Summoning all her willpower, she pulled herself to her feet again. She took one step but could feel her ankle buckle under her weight again. As she fell, she started to scream again, and wound up hitting something solid, which was completely unexpected. A pair of strong arms maneuvered her so that she was off her injured leg. Looking up, she saw she was resting against Erik. He set her down on the stairs carefully.

Without thinking, she hugged him tightly, just grateful to have been found. He stiffened slightly but he slowly returned it. "I'm here now," he whispered. Ella didn't respond, just pulled herself closer. "What happened?" he asked.

"I…I don't know," Ella mumbled into his chest. "I was walking down the stairs and I felt someone push me. But I couldn't see who it was. But I hurt my ankle. I can't walk on it. It hurts too much."

"Let me look at it." He knelt beside her and gently took her foot in his hands. She bit her lip trying to keep from crying out in pain. "Does it hurt?" Erik asked, seemingly sensing her discomfort.

"I've had worse. It's no big deal," she replied, before a whimper escaped her lips. "Okay, maybe it hurts a little."

"Well it's not broken," he announced. "Definitely sprained, but isn't broken."

"Ella?" Ella looked up at the sound of Meg's voice. "Ella where are you?"

She turned to Erik who nodded before disappearing into the shadows. Ella could just barely make out his silhouette, but if she didn't know where he was, she would have no clue he was even there. "Meg!" she shouted. "I'm down here!"

Meg appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh my goodness what happened?" she asked, running down the stairs. "Are you okay?"

"I fell on my way downstairs. I think I sprained my ankle. And I'm pretty sure I'm late for dinner."

"You think?" Meg replied. "Archer showed up upstairs wondering where on earth you disappeared to. C'mon, we better get you upstairs."

She took Meg's offered hand and tried to stand, but for a third time, her injured ankle gave out. "Oh no! You really did hurt yourself!" Meg cried. "Um, stay here; I'll go find you some help. Don't go anywhere."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Ella groaned.

"I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Ella nodded. "I'll be here."

The second she was out of sight, Erik was back at Ella's side. "Dinner?" he asked.

"Meg decided she was going to make me go out with Archer again," Ella explained. "She seems to think that I need a social life. But I'm thinking that's going to fall through. I don't think I'll be able to walk for a few days at least."

Suddenly she realized something with a gasp. Erik noticed her building her panic. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"If I can't walk, then I can't dance. If I can't dance, then they'll dismiss me. I can't leave here. I've got nowhere else to go!" she cried. "I'll have to live on the streets, I've got no money, and…and…" She started hyperventilating.

"Shhhhh," Erik whispered, holding her close as she trembled. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it. I won't let them send you away."

"But then if you do that, they'll know you've been paying attention to me. It won't take them very long to realize that you've been helping me."

"I said: I'll take care of it."

She looked up into his deep green eyes and realized she had never found a place she felt safer in than that moment in his arms. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and she could feel them growing closer and closer until…

"Ella!" Erik vanished again as Meg appeared, Archer in tow. "Ella you still here?"

"No," Ella replied sarcastically. "I got bored and wandered off. Of course I'm still here!"

"What on earth happened?" Archer asked.

"I twisted my ankle," she replied. "I can't put any weight on it. Can you help me walk?"

He smiled. "I can do better than that." She shrieked in surprise as he scooped her up with a slight grunt. "Meg, I'm going to take her upstairs, you get your mother. I have a feeling her ankle is going to need some medical attention."

* * *

"And how long are you not to use your ankle?" Firmin asked.

Ella bowed her head. "I'm not supposed to put any weight on it for four days, but the doctor told me I can't dance for another month," she whispered.

"A month?" Andre cried. "We've no use for a dancer who can't dance and a month is a long time for supporting someone who can't perform. I'm afraid we've no use for you anymore."

"Please Monsieur!" Ella begged. "I've nowhere else to go!"

"I'm sorry Mademoiselle, but it's how this must be." Ella couldn't help but feel her panic building again. Erik promised he wouldn't let them get rid of her but he was nowhere to be seen or heard.

At that moment, an envelope with a red skull ceiling fluttered down from the ceiling. Everyone groaned. Firmin ripped it open and began to read the note aloud.

_It has come to my attention that most regrettably one of the dancers has sustained a fairly serious injury. However I must strongly advise against this. Miss LeFontelle has shown remarkable improvement since her arrival, as well as great potential. Although it is obvious that dancing is out of the question for Miss LeFontelle for the time being, I'm sure there can be another position for her. After all, I do believe there is a chorus position available which requires minimal movement until her injury heals. And as for Jacqueline, I ask that you please inform her that the next time she feels the need to shove one of her fellow dancers down a flight of stairs that she picks someone less talented, or at the very least, leave no witnesses behind. If she continually chooses to sabotage those that are better than her, then the quality of the productions will suffer, and I'm sure you all know how much I hate when that happens. _

_Your obedient servant,_

_O.G._

Andre sighed. "Well Mademoiselle, it appears you got your wish. You may stay."


	15. Chapter 15

Chaos exploded when Ella returned to the rest of the dancers. The ballerinas swarmed around her, a hundred things flying at her at once, their babble overwhelming her.

"Did Jacqueline really push you?"

"How come you didn't say anything?"

"You get to sing! I'm so jealous!"

"You're lucky the Phantom likes you. I wish he'd tell them to give _me_ a chance to sing!"

Ella could feel a panic attack coming on from all the attention. She sent a pleading look to Madame Giry who understood instantly. Madame Giry slammed her cane against the floor and everyone immediately fell silent. "Let the poor girl breathe!" she ordered. "Now Ella, if you wish, you may say what happened. If you don't, that's your choice."

She knew that no one would give her a break until she told them what they wanted to hear. "I don't know what happened," Ella replied honestly. "One moment I was at the top of the stairs, and the next, I was at the bottom. I didn't see Jacqueline, I didn't see the Phantom, I didn't see anyone. I felt someone push me, but I couldn't tell you who. For all I know, it was all in my head, and I just tripped over my own two feet."

"Madame Giry!" Monsieur Reyer called. "We need to begin rehearsing!"

Since they were already mid-production, and Ella couldn't dance for obvious reasons, she was excused for the remainder of the day. She thought about going to the chapel, but since she was on crutches, stairs were an extreme challenge, and she didn't dare try to climb any more than she had to. The doctor had told her that she would be able to walk normally in the next week or so, but until then, she was in for a week of misery.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ella caught a shadow move. Whirling around, she found herself face to face with Erik. "Since I now believe you have plenty of time on your hands until the next production, you now can spend the next few days focusing on improving your voice."

She cringed at the thought of having to go down to the chapel. "Yes, of course. It's just I…"

"And because you're injured, we'll be using your dressing room for the time being," Erik said, seemingly reading her mind, then added almost as an afterthought, "If that's acceptable to you."

Ella stared at Erik, mesmerized. Last night, she felt an undeniable pull towards him when he comforted her. Not to mention the fact that she had nearly kissed him. She wasn't sure if he had felt the same attraction towards her, or it was all in her head. Then she realized he was still waiting for an answer. "That's perfectly fine," she finally replied.

"Then come, we have work to do."

When the strange pair reached Ella's dressing room, Erik helped Ella sit down. "This isn't ideal," he muttered "But we'll make it work."

"Erik?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

He seemed slightly taken aback at her statement. "For what?" he asked.

"For making them let me stay. I was afraid they were going to dismiss me." Ella could feel tears beginning to form. "I know you said you wouldn't let them, but I was scared you wouldn't stop them. I thought they wouldn't listen to you."

Erik reached out and gently wiped a tear away. "I told you I wouldn't let them send you away. When I make a promise, I never break it. You never needed to worry." As he pulled away, Ella felt that urge from last night again, but she turned away. It was just that he was always around when she needed help. That was the only reason she_ thought_ she felt this way Ella told herself.

* * *

_Kiss her!_ a voice in Erik's head screamed as he gently caressed her face. _Kiss her_! Instead, he dropped his hand back to his side. He took a step back, wondering what had gotten into him. Erik needed to get his mind off that subject now. "Have you been practicing that song I taught you?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course." When Erik gave her the go ahead, she took a deep breath and began to sing.

"_Could this night it last forever  
Every moment held together  
As if in a perfect trance  
And such a thing could be_

_No one else would understand it  
We would know the Gods had planned it  
And for such a night as this  
That they gave memory_

_And we would live inside this night  
Within the dreams of candlelight  
If you would bring this wish to life  
And spend this night with me_

_Could this moment last forever  
And this dream our one endeavor  
If the stars would just enchant  
And time would then agree_

_Every moment of tomorrow  
From this evening we would borrow  
If this wish the stars would grant  
And gently oversee_

_And we would live inside this night  
Within the dreams of candlelight  
If you would bring this wish to life  
And spend this night with me_

_And we would live inside this night  
Within the dreams of candlelight  
If you would bring this wish to life  
And spend this night with me_

_And spend this night with me"_

That did not have the effect Erik wanted. If anything, the voice he was trying to drown out was growing louder. "Erik?"

He turned back to Ella. "Yes?"

"If you don't mind my asking…" Erik tensed, thinking she was going to bring up his mask again. "How is any of this helping me? I mean, I'm only singing for you."

"One step at a time," he replied. "You couldn't sing in front of me when we started. And now, partially thanks to Jacqueline, you're going to be in the chorus. You're working your way up. Soon you'll be ready."

Ella smiled at the praise. "Thanks to you."

Erik heard footsteps heading down the hall, as well as the chatter of the ballerinas. He exchanged a glance with Ella. "Lunchtime," she explained.

He helped her to her feet. "Well in that case, I shouldn't keep you any longer. Be careful," he cautioned. "Watch out for Jacqueline. I don't want you to get hurt any further."


	16. Chapter 16

_Hey guys, I haven't abandoned you! I've just been oober busy trying not to fail math, and my other fanfic has been much more cooperative with me. I know this is a short chapter but it's more or less just fluff to keep you all happy until I can sit down and write a good chapter. You guys never seem to mind fluff, but I'll be having Christmas and the Masquerade soon to make it up to you! Anyway, if you thought Jacqueline got off easy last chapter, karma (and Erik and Meg) have come for her! Read, review, and Enjoy!_

_~nibblesfan_

* * *

"I hope you're happy!" Meg's voice rang out. Ella hobbled in to see her friend standing toe to toe with Jacqueline, neither one looking very happy.

"What are you talking about?" the dark haired girl demanded.

"You could have seriously hurt Ella!" her friend shouted. "You're lucky she broke her ankle and not her neck!"

"I don't know what you're going on about, but I didn't do a thing!"

"Oh yeah? Then how come the Phantom specifically said you pushed her down the staircase? You've been tormenting her since the moment she arrived! Who else would hurt her besides you?"

"Are you accusing me?" Jacqueline asked, her voice full of malice.

"I believe I am," Meg retorted just as viciously. "That letter didn't write itself."

"Meg what are you doing?" Ella hissed in her friend's ear. "You're going to get in trouble!"

"Don't worry," her friend whispered back. "Someone's got to stand up to her." She turned back to Jacqueline. "Haven't you spent enough time terrorizing people? Don't you remember what happened to La Carlotta?"

Jacqueline's eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me?"

"_I'm_ not," Meg replied. "But it sounds like the Phantom is."

"Meg," Ella whispered cautiously. "Let it go. Don't push it."

"Look at you," Jacqueline snarled. "You think just because you're head ballerina you think you're better than everyone else. The only reason you're even head ballerina is because your mother is the ballet mistress. You can't even claim to have gotten that job on talent."

A loud slap echoed across the room. "Oooh," the dancers chorused as everyone waited for Jacqueline to retaliate.

Before she could move, Madame Giry appeared. "That's enough! Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Jacqueline, do you really think this is wise seeing as you're already under scrutiny whether or not you're guilty. At this point, you're lucky you still have a job because of the accusations. Do you really wish to risk that by fighting?"

"No," Jacqueline muttered sullenly.

Madame Giry turned to Meg. "And you. I expected better of you. You are head ballerina for a reason. Is this the kind of example you want to have for the other girls?"

Meg shook her head. "No mother," she replied.

"I won't stand for any more of this, from any of you. If you have issues, you will bring them to me or you will deal with them like the young ladies you are. I will not have you fighting like ruffians. Am I understood?"

"Yes Madame Giry," the girls answered simultaneously.

* * *

Erik watched a white-face Jacqueline dash from her dressing room. He smirked as he saw the note lying on the floor. It had the exact effect on her that he wanted. As he walked away, he recalled every word he had written.

_You're lucky that Miss Giry got to you before I did. I will not tolerate a jealous girl attacking her fellow cast members, because she believes she's more talented than is really is. If any more of these "accidents" occur, I can assure you mademoiselle, you will have to face the wrath of a very displeased ghost. If so much as a suspicious sneeze happens, rest assured it will not go unpunished. I'll be watching._

_ O.G._

He hoped the note would frighten Jacqueline away from Ella. There was always the possibility that she would harass Ella even more, but now he knew that she wouldn't dare hurt her, and that was his main concern. The rest could be dealt with later.

* * *

"Finally!" Ella cried in triumph a week later. She spun around the room. "I can walk like a normal person again!"

"Careful," Meg laughed. "You still aren't supposed to be dancing. You don't want to hurt yourself the second you get off crutches. Jacqueline won't have to push you down the stairs if you just hurt yourself. I'm sure she'd appreciate the assistance though."

"No thank you," she replied. "I've spent enough time crippled. They're actually going to let me onstage tonight for the performance."

"Oh that's right! Tonight's your first night performing in the chorus. Are you nervous?"

Ella nodded. "Terrified. You know how much I don't like people."

Her friend smiled. "Well if it makes you feel any better, you're just a big nobody on stage. No one's going to notice you're even there let alone hear you sing."

"I think that's the only way I'm going to be able to make it through the performance without fainting." She wondered if Erik was going to be watching. Probably not. Like Meg pointed out, Ella was just going to be a nobody. There was no reason for him to bother.

"Well we better get off to rehearsal. Mother will be livid if we're late."

* * *

Erik let himself into Ella's dressing room the second she disappeared behind the privacy screen to change into her costume. He placed his present on the vanity, where all his notes went. Right before she emerged, he backed up towards the mirror, but wasn't able to get out in time. He froze as she picked up the pure white rose. A smile touched her lips as she twirled the stem in her fingers before her attention was brought to the note. Even though he couldn't see it over her shoulder, he knew exactly what it said.

_Good luck on your performance tonight. The chorus has gained a treasure whether they realize it or not. Soon it will be your time to shine._

_E_

"Does that mean he's going to be watching?" she wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Ella jumped; obviously unaware he was still in the room. Her face turned as red as her hair. "Do you mean it?" she asked.

Erik felt his face get as hot as well. That wasn't quite the reaction he was expecting. "I told you," he murmured. "I never break a promise."


	17. Chapter 17

_Merry Christmas everybody! Here's your present! It's an extra long (well for me anyway) chapter! And it's nearly all fluffy! Do you know what's better than fluff? Christmas fluff! You guys definitely got off better with this than my other fanfic. They just got a nasty cliff hanger. But I feel bad I haven't been updating this one as much as the other. So here you are, enjoy! Read and Review!_

_~nibblesfan_

* * *

Ella was amazed when she awoke one more morning to find the Opera covered in holly and ivy. In the middle of the foyer was a large evergreen tree, beautifully decorated. "Oh wow," she whispered in awe. "What's all this for?"

"It's Christmas Eve," Meg explained, pulling her away from some mistletoe hanging up in a corner. The plant was everywhere, putting all the ballerinas on guard from a group of stagehands who had hidden the plant everywhere. When Ella's fascinated expression didn't change she added, "Haven't you ever seen Christmas decorations before?"

"No," she whispered, staring at the tree. "I've never had a Christmas before. I thought it was just a fairytale that people told small children. I didn't know it was actually real."

"My God, you've never celebrated Christmas before?" Meg asked in shock. "What kind of childhood did you have?"

A thousand different replies whirled through her head, but Ella settled on the vaguest one she could think of. "Not a very good one apparently."

"Were you poor?"

"Yes, I suppose we were," Ella replied evasively. "And my father was never one for holidays anyway. There was never much cause for celebration in my house."

"That's awful. Well I swear that I will make tomorrow the best holiday you will ever have in your life!" Meg declared. "Christmas tomorrow, the Masquerade on New Year's Eve. And I swear Archer will want to accompany you. I promise you that you're going to have so much fun, it'll be criminal!"

She smiled. "I'm glad I have a friend like you."

"Now come on! There's a party for the cast tonight, and we're going. I am going to make sure you have the night of your life! Well, at least until Archer takes you to the Masquerade."

"He's not going to take me to the Masquerade!" Ella insisted. "He hasn't even mentioned it all!"

Meg gave her a knowing wink. "Oh he will. I've seen enough guys like him. He's going to try and sweep you off your feet. Men like him like to take the hopeless romantic approach. Besides, he has spent too much time trying to chase you down to let you slip away that easy."

"Will you just drop the Masquerade? You've been going on nonstop about it for nearly a month now!"

"I can't help it!" she cried.

"I think someone else is the hopeless romantic," Ella replied with a grin.

Meg laughed. "C'mon or we'll miss the party!"

* * *

Never celebrated Christmas? Erik couldn't believe it. Even Antoinette gave him some present every year. As indifferent as he usually was to the holiday, he had to agree with Meg. Ella deserved a good Christmas.

It wasn't hard. Everything he needed was already lying around the opera, and the entire cast was off in the foyer for their party. Ella wouldn't be back here for hours, mostly not until morning. He quickly gathered what he needed and headed off to her dressing room.

As he worked, he thought of what Ella had let slip. She had mentioned her father disliking the holidays. What kind of father would deny their child Christmas? Granted, before Antoinette brought him here he had never had one either, but his parents were the kind that sold their six year-old son to a band of gypsies. Then it struck him. What if…?

* * *

"Oh my…" Ella whispered when she walked into her dressing room Christmas morning. It was covered in Christmas decorations, and in her opinion even more beautiful than the rest of the opera. "Where did all this come from?"

"Whoa, someone was busy last night," Meg said as she let herself into the room. "When did you do all this?"

"I didn't," she replied. "It was like this when I got here. I was wondering if you did it since you knew about me not having Christmas."

"No, it wasn't me," Meg admitted. "But it's brilliant. I wonder who did do it." Ella instinctively turned towards the vanity, and like she expected, there laid a white rose waiting to be noticed. She picked up the delicate flower and inhaled its intoxicating fragrance. Meg grinned. "Your secret admirer left his calling card again. He must have decorated to try to impress you."

"I don't think anyone's trying to impress me." Erik certainly wasn't a secret admirer, let alone one desperately trying to win her affection like Meg was making it sound. The Phantom had made it clear that he was only interested in her voice. But the gesture was sweet, and Ella made a mental note to thank him dearly for it.

Before Meg could go another one of her rants about Ella getting swept off her feet by some dashing nobleman, there was a knock on the door. She opened the door to reveal someone who 'coincidentally' fit almost all of Meg's criteria for a dashing nobleman. "Archer!" Ella cried in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to give you your Christmas present," he announced with a smile.

"A present for…for me?" she stammered.

He handed her the small wrapped box, obviously very pleased with himself. "Open it," he urged.

"Archer, you shouldn't have." Her jaw dropped and her face went ashen when she saw what it was: a diamond necklace. She immediately shoved it back into his hands. "You shouldn't have," Ella repeated. "I can't accept something like that. It must have cost you a fortune."

Completely ignoring her protests, he pulled it out of the box and placed it around her neck. "I was actually hoping you'd wear it to the New Year's Masquerade. I was also hoping you'd allow me the honor of accompanying you."

"I can't take this necklace," she declared.

"Ella, I insist," he replied just as stubbornly. "I don't know anyone more deserving than you. You look absolutely radiant." Archer took her hands and kissed them gently. "How about we meet at the top of the Grand Staircase at eight o' clock sharp on New Year's Eve?" He smiled and added, "And how about we try to avoid getting pushed down staircases this time? Merry Christmas Ella."

The second he left, Meg squealed. "I told you! The hopeless romantic approach never fails."

Now that he was gone, her attention was drawn back to the rose. It was so much simpler than Archer's present and yet seemed more meaningful to her. "Would you excuse me for a while?" she asked. "There's someone I need to pay a visit to."

Her friend seemed slightly surprised but smiled and nodded. "I'll see you later then. Merry Christmas."

She ran to the chapel, on the off chance that Erik was down there. It was their usual lesson time, but he had allowed her the day off for the holiday. "Erik?" she called.

"I had a feeling you were coming down here," he replied smugly as he stepped out into the open.

"Were you the one who decorated my dressing room?"

He smirked. "Rumor has it, you've never celebrated Christmas. I thought you might enjoy it."

"Thank you," she whispered. "It means so much."

Erik opened his mouth to reply but seemed to suddenly switch what he was going to say. "That's a nice necklace." His tone was much cooler than it had been just the moment before.

Ella's hand flew to her neck. She had forgotten she had it on. "Archer gave it to me. I tried to get him to take it back, but I don't think he knows the word 'no'. He wants me to go to the Masquerade with him, and it was part of his persuasion tactics."

"Well any man with you on his arm should consider himself very lucky."

She was surprised by how cold and aloof he had suddenly become. "I don't if I'm going to go though. Will you be attending?"

He shook his head. "No I won't. Last year, the managers made me feel rather unwelcome," he explained, his smirk returning. "I don't think they appreciate visits from the Opera Ghost."

"You know, you don't have to go as the Phantom," Ella whispered. "You _could_ go as Erik."

"Perhaps, but I wouldn't count on it if I were you."

Her face fell. "Well I better get going." She looked up and realized Erik had stepped beneath some stray mistletoe. He glanced up as well and instantly sidestepped like the plant was poisonous. Without realizing what she was doing, Ella leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Merry Christmas Erik," she whispered before she ran upstairs.

* * *

As Ella disappeared from view, Erik reached up and rubbed where her lips had touched him. No one had shown him any sort of affection like that. Even _she_ had only kissed him to save her precious fop. "Merry Christmas Ella," he whispered in reply, despite the fact that the girl was long gone.

Erik had tried so hard to keep his distance, to keep unattached to her. But since the moment she arrived, Ella had been steadily chipping away at his stony demeanor despite his determination to stay away. That kiss, that simple gesture, had shattered him. He could deny it no longer.

Silent as a shadow, he made his way upstairs. "Ella, Ella, guess what!" Meg cried, running up to her friend. The dancer was obviously very excited. "Christine and Raoul are coming for the Masquerade!"

The piercing pain Erik expected at that name turned out to be little more than a dull ache. He just shook his head and sang a quiet little melody under his breath.

"_Last Christmas  
I gave you my heart  
But the very next day you gave it away  
This year  
To save me from tears  
I'll give it to someone special"_

He left the two girls oblivious to his presence, too preoccupied with his own thoughts. Perhaps he _would_ go to the Masquerade. Just then, the boy who spent so much of his time pursuing Ella appeared around the corner, an arrogant grin on his face. Erik's blood began to boil. This boy was acting like he had already won Ella. Erik was going to make sure that didn't happen. He was going to that Masquerade if it was the last thing he did.


	18. Chapter 18

_Merry Christmas again! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Well technically, Christmas ended 8 minutes ago, but you get an extra present this year! It's the Masquerade! Bum bum buuuuum! And yes, the POV changes a lot towards the ending, but I think you'll forgive me when you get to that point. Read, Review, and Enjoy! (Oh yes, by the way, one of my signature cliffhangers is waiting for you XD)_

_~nibblesfan_

* * *

"You look absolutely gorgeous!" Meg cried when Ella emerged in her costume. "You are going to be the envy of every single woman there!"

Ella spun around in front of the mirror. "I feel like it's too much. Should I change something? My hair maybe? Maybe I shouldn't go."

"No!" Meg shouted. "Don't you dare change a thing! You look perfect, and you are going to this ball, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming!" She stopped and studied Ella a little more. "Actually there is one teeny tiny little thing you can change."

"What's that?"

"You forgot the necklace Archer got you."

"Oh right," Ella said with a sigh. She was hoping Meg would have forgotten the necklace, but apparently not.

Her friend grabbed the diamonds and fastened them around Ella's neck. "That'd be awkward. He did say he wanted you to wear it tonight."

"Good thing you remembered then." Ella wasn't even sure she wanted to go to the Masquerade. It was the only thing Meg had talked about for weeks, but she just couldn't get excited. And she knew why. Ella knew she would never admit it, but she knew why. Erik wasn't going to be there.

"C'mon, if you don't hurry, you'll be late!" Meg announced, looking at the time. She helped Ella tie on her mask, and Ella did the same for her. "Quick, how do I look?"

"Beautiful," Ella assured her. "I swear."

"Thanks, you do too." Meg grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. "Now let's go! We're missing the party!"

Despite Ella's protesting that she wasn't ready, Meg dragged her through the opera. "Oh my God," Ella whispered. "This is amazing."

"There he is," Meg replied. "Monsieur Handsome is waiting for you!"

Ella looked across and saw Archer was indeed grinning at her. "Oh God," she whispered. "I can't do this." She turned to run, but Meg grabbed her arm. "Meg, don't make me."

"Oh, you're just nervous. This is your first big high society thing isn't it? Don't you worry. You'll be perfectly fine. Archer is the kind of guy that he'll just tell you all what to do anyway," Meg whispered in her ear as she steered her towards the patron. "Hello Monsieur Dubois," she said, this time loud enough for him to hear.

"Good evening Miss Giry," Archer replied with his warm smile. "You look lovely." He turned to Ella and kissed the back of her hand. "Hello Ella. You look absolutely stunning."

She turned beet red. "Thank you," she murmured.

He gave her a sweeping bow and offered her his hand. "May I have this dance?" Ella glanced at Meg who nodded urgently. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly put her hand in his, and he swept her off into the crowd of dancers.

* * *

Erik paced back and forth in front of the mirror. He needed to make sure his costume was perfect. No one could recognize him, no one but her. Vanity had never been his strong suit, but now he found himself adjusting his mask so no part of his deformity was visible, running his hand over the wig to make sure it stayed slicked back, and smoothing his costume, desperate to look as best as he could. He paused, thinking about what all this meant.

"_I have been wrong about you.  
Thought I was strong without you.  
For so long nothing could move me.  
For so long nothing could change me.  
Now I feel myself surrender  
Each time I see your face.  
I am captured by your beauty,  
Your unassuming grace.  
And I feel my heart is turning,  
Falling into place.  
I can't hide it"_

If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly this time. No threats, no lies, and above all, he had to keep his godforsaken temper under control. He couldn't afford to lose it and scare the girl away. And maybe, just _maybe_ she could learn to see beyond the mask like Christine never could.

Realizing the night was slipping away and he was losing precious time, Erik reluctantly left the darkness of his lair for the bright party above.

By the time he reached the ball, the Masquerade was in full swing, and no one took notice to the man who slipped in late and unaccompanied. Scanning his surroundings, he finally spotted a redhead dancing with her partner on the other side of the room. Erik quickly worked his way through the crowd and grew close enough to hear their conversation. "Be exhausted," he heard the voice of the patron say. "I'll go get you a glass of champagne. I'll be back by your side in a moment."

The moment he disappeared from sight, Erik gently touched Ella's elbow. She jumped in surprise and whirled around, but the moment she realized who it was, her eyes lit up. "I thought you weren't coming."

"Well someone managed to talk me into it," he replied with a smile.

He took in the full effect of her costume. She wore a soft golden dress that was simple yet elegant, as was the matching mask. The color made her sparkling eyes look like liquid silver. The mask flared out at the top, reminding Erik of butterfly wings. It was most fitting, he thought, since Ella was slowly coming out of her cocoon to become something great. Her red curls were pulled from her face in a sophisticated up-do. A few stray strands had managed to escape and fall into her face, but Erik found it rather charming.

"I'm glad you're here."

Erik realized they needed to move before the boy came back and tried to take her from him. He took a deep breath and mustered all his courage before offering her his hand. "Would you care to dance?"

A smile lit up her face. "I would love to." Erik took her hand and quickly pulled her into the crowd, triumphant with this small victory.

* * *

Ella wondered if Erik could hear how loud her heart was hammering in her chest. This was the closest they had ever been, and if she was honest with herself, she never wanted to leave.

He was clothed in a suit of a deep midnight blue. The mask he wore was the same color and highlighted the deep soulfulness of his green eyes, which she found herself getting lost in as he led her around the dance floor. His eyes were locked on hers, pulling her into his world. Despite the fact they were in the middle of a crowded party, it was as though there was no one on earth but the two of them.

The pair waltzed through the night, all thoughts of Archer gone from her mind. The clock began to chime in the background, pulling Ella out of her dreamy haze and back to reality. "It's midnight already?" she asked in surprise.

He seemed just as shocked as her. "I suppose we must have lost track of time," he replied.

"Yes, I suppose we must have," she agreed. She couldn't believe how late it had become. The party was going to be ending much sooner than she could ever want it to. Desperate to cling to every moment she had left with him, Ella pulled herself closer to him, savoring every last second of his touch.

* * *

As Ella brought herself closer and closer, Erik could feel his self-control slipping away. Her lips seemed to call to him, and he knew he only had a little time left with her. It was a miracle he had managed to hold her and keep her away from the boy for as long as he had. Every now and again, Erik had spotted him looking for her, but Erik had always managed to get Ella out of sight before Archer noticed them.

She looked up to gaze at him again, and a soft smile touched her lips. He groaned inwardly. Could she tell that she was teasing him?

Finally she started to pull away from him. Erik felt a rush of desperation, not ready to let her go yet. He leaned in and, as sweetly and gently as he could, pressed his lips against hers. Ella's arms reached up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. He couldn't believe it. She wasn't rejecting him, she was returning his kiss! She knew what he was, what he had done, and yet she still returned his kiss!

* * *

When they broke apart, Ella felt a rush of emotions. She stared into his eyes and found nothing but joy in them. But there was a question she needed answered. One she needed answered even though she dreaded the answer, no matter what it was. If he said no, she didn't think she could bear it, but if he said yes, she was terrified of what would happen from now on. But she had to know. She worked up every bit of courage she had before whispering, "Erik, do you love me?"


	19. Chapter 19

"_Erik, do you love me?_"

He stared into her grey eyes, wondering what was the right answer. What did she want him to say? Hopefully she wanted him to say yes, and he wanted to say yes, but he was terrified she'd reject him. But she was waiting for an answer, and he couldn't lie to her.

Erik gently put his hand on her cheek, his reply on his lips. Ella turned her face into the caress and looked up at him with questioning eyes. He leaned in, so his breath was tickling her ear. He took a deep breath and was about to whisper his answer, when suddenly, "Ella!"

They both looked up and saw the patron coming towards them. Ella's face turned ashen, and Erik could see that she had forgotten about him. He put a hand around her waist and led Ella through the crowd, away from Archer. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Trust me," he answered. "That's a conversation you don't want to have quite yet, I can tell." Keeping his hand on the small of her back, he led Ella to a side door that would lead her back to the dormitories. She hesitated, so he gave her a gentle, but firm push. "Go," Erik urged. "It's fine."

She had just disappeared through the door, when Archer managed to work his way through the crowd. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Erik alone. He started towards him, but Erik had one advantage that the patron didn't. Erik had mastered the art in disappearing years ago. With almost no effort, he melted into the crowd once more. As the patron blundered about trying to find his new rival, Erik smirked. There was a war beginning once more, and this time, he didn't intend to lose.

* * *

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,_ Ella thought with every step back to the dormitories. Everything had been perfect, absolutely perfect, and then she went and blew it. What was she thinking, asking Erik if he loved her? For a moment, it looked had like he was going to say yes, but then he went and pushed her away. Of course he didn't love her. Why would he?

It didn't help that Archer had found them together. She had completely forgotten that he was even there. Ella felt awful. He had been nothing but kind to her, and this was awful repayment. But Erik made her knees weak, and Archer just didn't hold a candle to the way he made her feel. In fact, her head was still spinning from the kiss they had just shared.

Lost in her own thoughts, Ella didn't notice the footsteps behind her. She shrieked in surprise when a hand grabbed her arm and whirled her around. "Are you mad?" a feminine voice hissed.

"Excuse me?"

The woman let her mask drop to reveal Christine de Chagny. "Do you know who that was?"

"Madame, it was just a friend of mine," Ella half-lied.

"You don't need to make things up," Christine replied. "You never forget a man like him. He's been teaching you to sing hasn't he?" Ella didn't answer, but that was all Christine needed. "Don't you understand how dangerous he can be?"

"But he's not dangerous!" Ella protested. "He's not."

"Have you even seen him?"

"Unlike you, he's been honest with me, he's told me everything," she countered. Ella had never been this aggressive before, but she couldn't handle Christine insulting her bond with Erik. "I know who he is, but he doesn't scare me. He wouldn't hurt me."

"I thought the same thing," Christine confessed. "And then he lost his temper. He's so _violent_ when he's angry, it's terrifying. It's like he's a completely different person. He's _killed_ people. Don't you understand that?"

"Please, you don't understand how much he's done for me. He's helped me so much, and he's asked for absolutely nothing in return."

Christine shook her head and started to walk away, but called over her shoulder, "Not yet. But he will. Are you going to be willing to pay the price?"

"Yes," Ella whispered even though there was no one to hear her.

* * *

Early the next morning, there was a knock on Ella's dressing room door. Before she could open it, Archer let himself in. "Ella…" he said softly.

She felt her stomach sink with dread at the sight of him. "I...I…" she stammered, but couldn't give him an explanation, an apology, anything.

"Who was that man last night?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"It…it was no one," she lied, staring hard at the floor.

Archer cupped her chin with his hand and tilted her head up so she was forced to look him in the eyes. "It didn't look like no one." She pulled out of his grip and returned her gaze to her feet. "Ella, did he threaten you?"

"What?" Ella cried. "No! Why would you think that?"

"Ella, he snatched you away in the middle of the party. He dragged you off when I finally found you again. I saw him with you, Ella. I saw him force you to kiss him."

"He didn't force me to do anything!" she protested.

"Then what happened?" Archer demanded "Ella, tell me!"

"Archer, there's nothing to tell."

The look in his brown eyes made Ella want to cry. "I know you seem to think it's none of my business, but Ella, I want it to be my business."

"What do you…?" Before she could finish the question, he gently caught her face and kissed her tenderly. She immediately tilted her head up and broke away. "Archer…" Ella could feel tears forming. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but it looked like that was her only option.

He instantly picked up on her distress and tried to pull her into his arms. "What's wrong love?"

"Please, don't make this harder than it is," she whispered, backing away.

His brow furrowed at her remark. "Make what harder? I don't understand."

"Archer, you've been nothing but wonderful to me," she started, a tear slipping down her cheek. "More than I deserve. But I think it would be best for you if we stopped seeing each other."

"So that's it then?" Ella could hear the pain in his voice.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry," she said, trying hard not to cry. "Truly, I am."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," he snapped. "Sorry I cared about you." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Ella felt awful. Archer had been so kind to her and she had hurt him badly.

Still fighting back tears, she turned away and started to walk to the chair in front of the vanity, but slammed into something hard and solid. She looked up and saw something that could always make her feel better. "Erik!"

Something wasn't right though. He looked so upset, so _angry_. It wasn't like him at all. Without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist tightly and began dragging her towards the mirror. "Erik, what's going on?" she asked in fear. To her amazement, the mirror opened like a door, revealing a secret passage. "Erik, what are you doing?" The only response she received was angry silence.

After pulling her through the doorway, the mirror swung shut behind them, plunging them into total darkness. As her sight disappeared, Ella realized what a fool she was for not heeding Christine's warning.

* * *

_HA! You guys totally fell for it! No, I'm making you wait for the big "I love you" moment. And now the big question, I'm having a hard time deciding what to do from this point. Well I do, but I want some imput from you guys. Do I keep Archer as the well-meaning but doesn't always thinks things through kind of guy, or should I have him go the LND route and have him do a total 180-personality change and become super mean? Let me know what you guys think I should do (Let the record show, I may not listen to you anyway). Anyway, read and review and give me your thoughts._

_~nibblesfan_


	20. Chapter 20

"Erik? Erik, talk to me!" she pleaded as he continued to drag her through the passage. "Please! What's going on?" As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ella saw they were reaching the shore of what looked like an underground lake. He swept her off her feet, dropped her unceremoniously into a boat, climbed in after her, and began rowing as she continued to beg for some explanation, but received no response.

Suddenly they stopped. She could see candles everywhere, a beautiful organ, and everything decorated in black. "Erik, where are we?" Ella whispered. This had to be Erik's home, but how could all this be in one opera? He silently stepped out onto the shore and pulled her out roughly. "Just tell me what's wrong! Erik, you're scaring me!"

The flames of rage in his eyes caused Ella to shrink backwards. "I won't be betrayed again!" he snapped as his only explanation.

"Wha... What are you talking about?" she stammered

The accusation was clear in his eyes. "I saw you kissing him!"

He didn't understand. She just had to explain the situation to him, and then he wouldn't be so upset with her. "No, he…"

"Don't deny it!" he shouted. "I saw you!"

"Let me explain!" Ella begged. "Archer saw us kiss last night, and he was jealous. He kissed me, it's true. But I asked him to leave me alone. I told him I didn't want to see him anymore."

His eyes softened. "You did?"

She nodded. "I did." Ella wanted to prove to Erik that he could trust her and to show him how much she cared. She reached up and caressed his cheek. Erik closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "Trust me," she murmured before bravely catching ahold of the porcelain mask and tugging it free. He needed to know that she needed him, no matter what.

"No!" Erik howled. He twisted away violently enough to send Ella staggering backwards. "Why did you do that?" he roared. "Is what you've been after all this time? A nosy ballet rat got curious about the Opera Ghost. That's all this has been hasn't it? A game?" He stormed away, leaving her standing there, the white porcelain still in her hands.

"Erik?" she whispered as he sat heavily at his organ and buried his face in his hands. After placing the mask aside, she cautiously approached him. When he didn't move, she knelt at his feet. "Erik, I didn't mean to upset you." Slowly he raised gaze to meet hers. "Erik, it's just…it's just." Ella could feel tears welling up, but she had to tell him. "It's just, I know nothing about you, and I needed to know something, _anything_, about the man that stole my heart."

He started at her for a moment, stunned at her confession. "Oh Ella," he sighed. "I'm a monster. I'm not worthy of an angel like you."

Ella gently guided his hand away from his face so she could really see it. The skin was twisted and bulged in several places. She could see several veins, and in one part it looked like she could see his skull. If she was honest, yes at first glance, it repulsed her, but she would make sure he would never know. With time, she was positive she would learn to accept it. She wiped her face clean of all emotion before wrapping her arms around his neck and replying with, "You're only a monster if you let yourself be one."

"How can you bear to look at such an atrocious face such as mine?" he asked.

"Because you're still my Erik."

He held her tightly against him. "Surely you are an angel sent to be my saving grace," he murmured.

"You changed," she replied. "They all insisted you were a monster, but I knew you were a changed man. I told her you were!"

"Wait, you did what?" he asked, pulling away.

"Christine kept telling me you were dangerous, that you would take advantage of me, that you would hurt me, but I told you were different now!"

Ella was rather pleased with herself, but Erik looked horrified. "Christine?" he hissed. He stood suddenly. "Christine?!" This time his voice was raised to a shout. "Why would you tell her about us?" he demanded. When Ella tried to calm him down, Erik reached up and slapped her with enough for to send her crashing to the floor. "Do you know what you've done you stupid girl?" he screamed.

"I…I didn't tell," she whimpered.

* * *

The sight of Ella on the ground was enough to awaken old memories in Erik. He had promised he wouldn't lose control of his temper less than twenty-four hours ago and yet she cowering in fear from him. "I didn't…I didn't tell Christine anything," Ella whispered, hiding her injured cheek from him. "She…she saw you…saw us at the Masquerade together. She recognized you and followed me. She told me not to trust you, that I would regret it. I told her you changed. I guess I was wrong."

Guilt crashed over Erik. He had hurt her without a second thought. That was how he had lost the first time. Falling to his knees beside her, Erik reached for her, but she gave a soft cry of protest and turned away. "Mon Ange," he whispered. "Please forgive me. It's true I've done horrible things, but I'm trying to change, trying to change for you."

"Erik, I thought I could trust you. I thought I was safe with you."

"Every time in my life something wonderful happens, it gets taken away from me, and that's become my natural reaction. Ella, I know I can't undo what I just did, but I need you to know that I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You truly didn't mean it?" she asked after a long moment of silence.

"No, I swear on my life." Ella hesitantly crawled into his arms. Erik brushed his fingertips across the mark on her face, and he knew it was going to be bruised. "I'm so sorry Mon Ange."

She just shook her head. "I've had worse."

"Tell me."


	21. Chapter 21

"Tell me," Erik whispered in her ear. Ella shook her head furiously. "You don't have to hide your past from me. I promise you, it won't change anything between us."

"I…I can't." Ella was so confused and torn. She felt so incomplete unless she was in Erik's embrace, but she was terrified of him at the same time. He had frightened her so badly when he struck her. She wanted to trust him, she really did, but her still stinging cheek was a reminder that she was truly alone in this world. But then his words were so caring, so apologetic. And in his eyes, she saw real regret. The stories cautioned everyone about his hypnotic voice, but Ella wasn't drawn by that. It was his eyes that captivated her, the emotion, the pain, the soulfulness that she saw in those deep green eyes.

Erik sighed then shifted so that he was kneeling before her. He took her hands in his before softly saying, "Ella, I need to tell you a story."

"Many years ago, in the French countryside, a baby boy was born. But he wasn't a regular boy; he was cursed with the face of a monster. His parents were horrified, and as a result, treated him little better than a beast."

Ella's eyes grew wide, realizing he was talking about himself. She tried to say something, but he kept right on going.

"Then when the boy was six years old, his parents saw their chance to rid themselves of their burden. A traveling fair, one that collected and displayed freaks, just so happened to pass right through their town. The boy's parents took him to the gypsies and sold him for practically nothing. They were just happy to have him off their hands. The gypsies threw the boy in a cage as his parents left. As he was screaming for mercy, begging for them to come back, they abandoned him. That was the last time he ever saw them."

"Oh Erik…"

"For years, he was trapped within the bars of that cage. For years, he was displayed as 'The Devil's Child' to jeering crowds. For years he was whipped and beaten by his captors as punishment for nothing more than being ugly. Then one day the show reached the outskirts of Paris and his misfortune ended for a time."

"You escaped?" Ella asked breathlessly.

Erik nodded. "Their last night in Paris, a group of ballerinas from the Opera Populaire came to see the freaks. A single dancer, a girl by the name of Antoinette, took pity on the boy. After his nightly beating, the boy finally cracked, and out of desperation, he killed his keeper. Antoinette helped him escape from the law by bringing the boy to the opera where she lived and hiding him in the tunnels beneath the theater."

"That's how you became the Phantom?"

"He taught himself to read, to write, and most importantly, how to use the tunnels to get around undetected. By listening and watching the musicians and singers above, he taught himself to sing and to play, and eventually to compose. He had always heard songs in his head, but now he could finally write them out. When those above began hearing him practicing at night, Antoinette convinced them it must be a ghost. The boy figured why not become a ghost? He already knew more about music than the current manager, he could make the Opera Populaire the greatest opera in the world. He began leaving notes, and when he wasn't obeyed, he'd create 'accidents' until the issue was corrected. He had become the Phantom."

Ella stared at him, her mouth hanging open, wondering how to respond. She whispered his name, but he placed his finger on her lips to silence her. "Let me finish," he instructed. "For a while this went on, until a young girl, just seven years old, came to the opera. She had just lost her father and she was devastated. He instantly picked up on her vocal talents so he tricked the girl. He told her that he was an Angel of Music sent by a father to teach her. She was so young and naïve, she believed him instantly. As she grew, he was her teacher and soon became her friend and confidant. He was so arrogant, so proud of his pupil, he pushed her to become Prima Donna. Through blackmail and sabotage, he helped her career flourish."

"Christine," Ella murmured.

"Eventually he realized he loved her and believed she felt the same. He revealed the truth to her, but she was horrified by his face. She ran off with her childhood sweetheart, a handsome Vicomte, leaving the Phantom. Alone and heartbroken, he swore he would never love again. But then another girl arrived. She seemed just as lost and confused as the last, and was just as talented. But this girl was different. She could see beyond the mask." Erik gave her a sad smile. "She could see the man was just like any other."

* * *

"Erik, oh Erik," Ella whispered. He wiped away a tear sliding down her cheek. She was crying for him, he realized in amazement. "I've suffered nothing compared to you," she cried, embracing him tightly.

"I'm sure that's not true," he replied gently. She shook her head before turning away. She softly began to sing.

"_There was a time when men were kind  
When their voices were soft  
And their words inviting  
There was a time when love was blind  
And the world was a song  
And the song was exciting  
There was a time  
Then it all went wrong  
I dreamed a dream in times gone by  
When hope was high  
And life worth living  
I dreamed that love would never die  
I dreamed that God would be forgiving  
Then I was young and unafraid  
And dreams were made and used and wasted  
There was no ransom to be paid"_

"Tell me," Erik coaxed, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I suppose I had a relatively childhood for a time," she began softly. "I can't really remember. It was my parents, my older brother, Tristan, and I. When I was four, my mother was to have another child. But something wasn't right. She died after having a still-born son. I barely remember her anymore. Not her face, nor her presence, not even the sound of her voice. All I know is that my father was never the same after that."

"_The tigers come at night  
With their voices soft as thunder  
As they tear your hope apart  
And they turn your dream to shame"_

"From then on, I don't remember seeing him without a bottle. It was his way of coping I suppose. I didn't understand at the time. Before Mama died, I had always been his little girl, but once she was gone, he was a different man."

"_He filled my days with endless wonder  
He took my childhood in his stride"_

Erik knew where this was going. He held Ella tightly, her head resting on his chest as she continued her tale. "Tristan was older and bigger than me, he always tried to protect me. But when my father was angry, and he was always angry, there was no stopping him. He would hit us if we got in his way, or if we displeased him, or we were just in the same room when he was in a bad mood."

"Mon Ange," he whispered. Erik could feel rage building deep within, an utter hatred for the man that dared to lay his hand on this delicate creature. He wasn't going to force Ella to tell any more, but like him, now that she had started, it was like a dam had broken and now there was a flood.

"Tristan knew one day that Papa would go too far. He always said when he was bigger, we were going to run away, far away where he could never find us or hurt us. One day, when I was twelve and he had just turned fourteen, he decided we couldn't stay any longer. We were to sneak out that very night. But Papa wasn't as drunk as we had thought and he caught us. He was _so_ angry."

Ella suddenly buried her face in his jacket, and Erik could feel tears soaking the fabric, but he didn't care. "I tried to stop him," she sobbed. "I tried to stop him, but he was so much stronger than me. When he finally stopped, Tristan was so still. Papa said he was sorry when he finally sobered enough to realize what happened, but there was nothing we could do."

"For the next four years, I was alone. I couldn't escape, I had nowhere to go, but I lived in constant fear I would share my brother's fate. I rarely left my room, only at night long after my father was asleep to get food for myself, and even then I wasn't spared. I remained his target until one day, I realized he wasn't breathing. He had drunk himself to death." She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "You couldn't possibly understand how happy I was. My father was dead, but I was happy. What kind of despicable person does that make me?"

"He terrorized you for years," Erik replied softly. "It only made sense. You were glad the fear and the horror was over."

"But I found out my father's habit had left him deep and debt, and I was going to lose everything to pay it off. I had nothing. Then I found some very old letters that belonged to my mother. I learned that before she had married my father, that she had been a ballerina here, she had been friends with Madame Giry. Out of sheer desperation, I wrote the woman from whom all the letters came, begging her for help. She agreed to let me be a dancer out of the goodness of her heart, and finally, after all those years, my nightmare was finally over."

"_But there are dreams that cannot be  
And there are storms we cannot weather  
I had a dream my life would be  
So different from this hell I'm living  
So different now from what it seemed  
Now life has killed  
The dream I dreamed."_

"Practically my entire life was in that house. The only experience I had with people was in short bursts, then my father and brother. Until I came here, other than my brother, I had never had a single friend in my life. And then I met Meg, and I met you," Ella continued. "I was terrified of the world, afraid that everyone was like him."

"No," Erik whispered. "Not everyone's like that, Mon Ange. There are good people in this world. I promise you, no one will ever hurt you again."


	22. Chapter 22

Erik watched Ella as she slept, careful to maintain a safe distance. She had cried herself to sleep in his arms after telling him her story. Instead of bringing her back upstairs and risking waking her, he had placed her in the swan bed to let her rest. Heaven knows she probably needed it after the day he and Archer had put her through.

He couldn't believe her story. Ella, his poor Ella, how could she have survived through all that? She was so much stronger than she appeared, but it was easy to see why she was so frightened of people. Erik could feel a surge of protectiveness towards the ballerina, determined that no one, himself included, would ever lay a hand on her again.

She stirred in her sleep, revealing an ugly bruise on her cheek. Erik would give anything to go back in time to stop himself from hurting her. Had he known, he would have never touched her. Even as mad as he had been at the time, he wouldn't have even considered hitting her.

The sound of footsteps drew his attention from Ella to the door of his lair. He pulled the curtain around her, shielding her from view, before picking up his Punjab lasso. No one was supposed to be down here. Erik hid in a crevice, waiting to attack. "Erik?" a familiar feminine voice called.

"What are you doing down here Antoinette?" he demanded, tossing the lasso aside and stepping into view.

"Am I not allowed down here?" she asked. "I was under the impression that as the one who saved your life and reason you're here, I can come and go as I please."

"You simply surprised me, that's all," Erik replied nonchalantly, trying to recover quickly.

"Surprised the Phantom of the Opera? That's nothing something you hear every day," the ballet mistress replied with a smirk.

Erik rolled his eyes. "So what brings you to my humble abode? It's rare that you venture down here anymore."

"One of my ballerinas had disappeared."

"So of course you come down here to accuse me," he sighed. "Perhaps the girl has just run off. After all, it wouldn't be the first time one of them has run off with a lover or is attempting to hide a hangover." Erik knew exactly which girl Antoinette was referring to. In fact, she was sleeping less than ten feet away, but he'd rather Antoinette not know that.

"However," she continued. "You've only threatened one, at least of the current group, and 'coincidentally' she's the one who's missing."

"And to whom are you referring?"

Antoinette glared at him. "Does 'Either you get rid of her or I will' sound familiar?"

"Miss LeFontelle has since proven her worth," Erik answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If you do not remember, it was I who suggested she be placed in the chorus while her injury heals. I believe the patron has been attempting to court her, yet I don't see you at his doorstep first thing in the morning."

"Erik, she's been disappearing at odd times for nearly as long as she's been here. This has you written all over it. What have you done?"

"I've done nothing," he lied, but his gaze inadvertently flicked to the black curtain that concealed Ella. It was a split second glance, but Antoinette spotted it and followed his eyes. She immediately shoved past him and moved to pull the curtain away. "Antoinette, don't!" Erik hissed, grabbing her arm but she had already pushed the black fabric aside to reveal Ella's sleeping form. Luckily her bruise was hidden in the pillows once more.

"Done nothing Erik?" she cried angrily. "This doesn't look like nothing!"

"Shush!" he replied, pulling her away. "You'll wake her!"

"I'll wake her?" Antoinette whispered angrily. "_I'll wake her_?! Erik, I thought you would have learned when Christine left."

"Don't say that name!" he commanded.

She ignored him. "I thought when Christine left you would learn! Kidnapping my dancers isn't going to make anyone love you Erik! The poor girl will probably be scared out of her mind when she awakens. She needs to go back upstairs, and you need to leave the ballerinas alone."

"Ella is different," he protested. "She's different from them, different from Chri-from _her_. I didn't kidnap her. Antoinette, I think she could love me. And I think I love her."

"_If_ she's falling in love, it's with the Angel of Music or with whatever tricks you used on her. It's not with Erik."

"But that's just it," he insisted. "I haven't lied to her, I haven't deceived her, I haven't misled her at all. Since the very beginning, she's known I'm the Phantom. She's known I'm Erik. She's seen what lies beneath the mask, she knows my past, and Antoinette, she's not afraid of me!"

For a moment, she looked nearly convinced, but Ella chose that exact moment to shift again. Not only was the mark on her face visible now, but Erik could also see a hand shaped bruise around her wrist from when he dragged her down here. "Not afraid of you, you say," Antoinette started slowly. "Didn't kidnap her. Falling in love with you. Erik, what have you done to her?"

"Alright, I _may _have lost my temper, but you don't understand…"

"Lost your temper?! Look at her Erik! Next time you'll kill her!"

"I won't," he promised. "I'm trying to control myself better Antoinette, I'm really trying."

"Listen to me Erik, Ella doesn't belong down here. She's going back up with me."

"Fine."

"I wasn't finished!" she snapped. "Ella will return with me, and you will not speak to her again. I will not stand aside and let more of your nonsense ruin the Opera Populaire again."

"How do you know I won't?" Erik challenged. "What's to stop me?"

"I'll send her away."

"You wouldn't dare…" he snarled.

"Why all the fuss?" the ballet mistress asked. "After all, you were the one who requested that I get rid of her. I'm only obeying your wishes."

"Do you wish for me to destroy the opera a second time?" Erik growled. "Because I will if that's what it takes to keep her here."

"I'm doing this for Ella's and your own good. If you sing to her, speak to her, appear to her, or touch her again, I will have her sent away."

"Surely you wouldn't turn the girl out onto the streets. She told me you were a friend of her mother's. You wouldn't send the penniless daughter of one of your friends out onto the streets of Paris."

"No," she admitted. "But I can have her sent to another theater."

Erik watched the sleeping girl for a few moments more, thinking. Although he knew it would be torture for himself, he couldn't let her go. "Very well," he replied, defeated. "But what if she willingly comes to me of no fault of my own?"

"Then I will stand aside and say no more." Erik nodded in agreement, thinking it would only be a few days at most before his angel returned to him.

* * *

Ella slowly blinked, taking in the sights around her. She wrapped in black silk sheets in a delightfully comfortable bed. Candles all around bathed the room in a warm light. Even though it was still darker than she was used to, it was inviting. This was Erik's home.

Looking around she spotted the last person she thought would be here. "Madame Giry?" Ella cried in surprise. "Why are you down here?"

"I was looking for you my dear," she replied. She glanced at Erik, surprised he had nothing to say. He simply nodded then walked away. Confused at what was wrong, she looked to the ballet mistress. "Come, you are already missed, it wouldn't be wise to remain here."'

Madame Giry placed a comforting and on her shoulder and began steering Ella upstairs. "How did you know how to get there?" Ella asked in amazement.

"I was the one who brought him there all those years ago."

"You're the one who saved him?" She seemed awestruck.

"Yes, I did. Now hurry. We need to return before too many people start asking too many questions.


	23. Chapter 23

Ella flinched as Madame Giry gently dabbed the make-up on her face. "I'm sorry," the ballet mistress apologized.

"It's fine. I'd rather sit through this than have to explain to everyone why I suddenly have a bruise on my face."

"Well you're still going to have to explain to me." Ella shook her head, but Madame Giry was in her own way, just as imposing as Erik. "How long has he been visiting you?"

"About a week after I got here," she admitted. "I was singing one day after rehearsal. He told me that I had some talent. He offered to help me, and I eventually accepted."

"What were you thinking?"

"I knew that everyone said he was dangerous. I thought that if I remained cautious and on guard, I'd be safe before I got in too deep. You know, back out the moment I felt uncomfortable, but I never did. If anything, he became a friend."

"Obviously you hadn't met his famous temper then." Madame Giry looked at her curiously. "What angered him so badly that he lashed out?"

Ella sighed. "It was my fault. Madame de Chagny somehow knew that he was tutoring me, and confronted me about it. When I mentioned it, he thought I had told her. He thought I betrayed him."

"So he brought you to his lair?"

She shook her head. "No, I was already down there. Archer…he kissed me, and Erik saw. He wasn't happy. He thought I was abandoning him."

Madame Giry stared at her in disbelief. "He kidnapped you because you were kissing another man, so you decide to mention the woman who broke his heart?"

"I didn't mean to! It just kind of slipped out!" Ella cried. "And besides, Erik didn't kidnap me!"

"Then what would you call it?"

"He…he…" Ella paused, wondering how to explain it. Then she realized that technically Erik did kidnap her, even if he allowed her to go without fuss. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?" Madame Giry repeated. "_A misunderstanding?!"_ She glanced at the time. "You and I need to be at rehearsal. We will discuss this later."

"There's nothing left to discuss!" she protested. "I swear!"

After a brief hesitation, Madame Giry nodded. "Very well."

* * *

After rehearsal, Meg grabbed Ella's hand. "Where on earth have you been? I haven't seen you since you were with Archer at the Masquerade!"

Ella honestly had no clue what to tell her friend. She hadn't thought about coming up with a story to explain her absence. Luckily for her, before she came up with something, Archer entered with the managers. He met her eyes for a brief second before he looked away, but both ballerinas could see the hurt in his eyes. "Oh," Meg whispered. "That's what happened. What went wrong?"

"I…I told him I didn't want to see him anymore," Ella whispered.

"Why would you do that?!"

Ella sighed. "I just…I couldn't…It was for the best."

"Ouch, I'm sorry. So what are you going to do now?" Meg asked.

"Return his necklace to start with," she replied with a sigh. "Then I'll go from there I guess."

She slowly approached Archer. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see, but may I talk with you? Just for a moment?"

He studied her for a moment before slowly nodding. The pair moved to a corner of the opera where they could speak in private. "What do you want?" he asked thickly.

"I…I just wanted to give this back to you," Ella said, placing the diamonds in his hand.

Archer just shook his head sadly as he took it. "Ella, do one thing for me. All you have to do is just answer one question." She didn't respond, but gave him an inquiring look. "_Why_?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered as her only response, before turning to flee.

* * *

Desperate for a real answer, Archer grabbed her wrist as she tried to run. Much to his surprise, Ella cried out in pain. "Ella what's…?" He took her hand instead and pulled her closer. To his horror, there was a hand-shaped bruise. For a moment he thought he had caused it, but he realized that the mark was too big to be from him. "Oh my God, what happened?" She shook her head, as she tried to pull away. "Ella, who did this to you?" He moved to turn her head towards him, but she flinched at his touch. After realizing there was powder on her face, he pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the make-up, revealing another bruise. "Jesus Ella! What…who…?"

She tugged herself from his grasp. "Please don't ask."

Her reaction and words from the day before echoed back to him. _'I think it would be best for you if we stopped seeing each other'_. You, she had said. Not _us_. It would be best for _you._ Archer wondered if this was because he had kissed her. Had somebody not very pleasant been upset by that? "Was…was this because of me?"

"Archer don't do this," she pleaded.

"Was it the man at the Masquerade?"

"Just let it go."

"I'm not going to just let it go!" Archer cried. "You disappear, tell me you never want to see me again, and then show up battered and bruised! If someone's hurting you because of me, I need to know!"

"It wasn't because of you," she whispered.

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me!" he begged. Her eyes looked up to meet his gaze for a split second before dashing to the floor. "Just tell me what's going on!"

"I...I can't."

He pulled her into a crevice, out of sight from everyone. "Ella, if somebody's doing this to you, I need to know. Let me help you. Let me protect you."

She had tears in her eyes. "Archer, don't get involved with this."

"Maybe I want to be involved in this. I don't want to let you get hurt anymore. Don't push me away, let me in." He took her in his arms and kissed her. Reluctantly he pulled away when he could taste salty tears. Archer rubbed away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Ella, I love you. Please let me help you."

Ella gasped at his confession. "Archer, you can't…"

"Why not?"

"Please just stay away." He reached for her but she had dashed away. Archer wondered who was doing this to her, who had hurt her? And why was she so scared to be seen with him? Was it truly dangerous for her to be around him? Determined to help her, Archer vowed he wouldn't rest until he found out who was behind this.


	24. Chapter 24

Erik had gone nearly a week without his beloved angel, and it was hurting him immensely. She seemed upset as well, but with Madame Giry following both their movements with the eye of a hawk, Erik wasn't going to dare risking a few moments with Ella. He had promised her he wouldn't let them send her away, and he wasn't going to break that promise even if it was torture for him to stay away.

Luckily for him, today was the day they usually had lessons. Ella would come to him and everything would be alright. Madame Giry wouldn't be able to stop them again. But first he needed to pay a visit to the ballet mistress. He had a note for her to deliver. There was a cellist who was consistently sharp, and Erik wasn't happy about it. The man needed to learn to tune or he was going to be out of a job rather quickly.

"You seem to be in a better mood," she commented as he handed her the envelope. "Are you finally done sulking? It's been a week and yet she hadn't returned to you."

"But she will," Erik replied smugly. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "In about twenty minutes in fact."

"Lessons don't count Erik."

"What?!" he cried in disbelief. "I've done as you asked. I haven't communicated with her just as you said. Ella's willingly coming to me, just like she's done since she's arrived."

"For all I know, she's coming out of fear of angering you."

"Antoinette just let us be! I love her!" Erik shouted in frustration. "Why can't you understand that? Why must you do this to me?!"

"Because the last time you loved someone, you terrorized her, you murdered how many people to have her, and you destroyed the opera because of her! I'm doing this for everyone's well-being. Think of it this way, you can't hurt her, and she can't hurt you."

"No instead you're punishing both of us," he replied bitterly. He spun on his heel and made his way to the chapel before Antoinette could respond. Just because he couldn't see Ella face to face didn't mean he couldn't see her at all.

Hidden in the secret passage, Erik waited for Ella to arrive. Soon enough, the beautiful redhead appeared in the doorway. Her face fell when she saw the empty room. If he didn't know Antoinette would be at the top of the stairs, Erik would have revealed himself to her. He clenched his jaw tightly, fighting the urge to call to her. _Say something!_ he pleaded silently with her. _Wonder where I am, ask if I'm here, just say my name! Do it and our misery is over!_

* * *

Ella tried to repress the crushing disappointment that appeared within her when she saw Erik wasn't there. She hadn't heard a word from him since Madame Giry brought her back upstairs. No notes, no advice, no music. She hadn't even _seen_ him. For time to time she thought she could sense him, but that was it.

She wondered if this was because of Archer. Ever since he had spotted the bruise, he had spent much of his time following her like a lost puppy. Ella did her best to try and convince him to leave her alone, but Archer simply didn't seem to understand the word no. Was Erik abandoning her? Did he simply not care about her?

On the verge of tears, Ella was about to call out his name, when she heard footsteps running down the stairs. "Ella, Ella!" Meg exclaimed, bursting into the room. "You'll never guess what happened!"

"What happened?" she asked.

"Mademoiselle Bouvier is with child!" Meg shouted. "She's with child out of wedlock! Do you know what that means?"

"It means she's going to be a mother even though she isn't married," Ella replied.

"No silly!" Meg laughed. "It means that the scandal has ruined her reputation! If she wants to maintain any shred of dignity that she has left, she has to step down from her role as Prima Donna! It means that we have no lead soprano and we're going to have to have auditions!"

"Oh, are you going to audition?"

The ballerina shook her head. "No, I don't have a strong enough voice. But you should! Imagine if you got the part! Can you imagine the look on Jacqueline's face? You know she already think she has the position."

"I…I don't know," Ella stuttered. She still didn't feel very confident with her singing, and now that Erik had disappeared, she knew she couldn't handle such an important audition, let alone being on stage as the leading lady.

"You can do it!" Meg said encouragingly. "I bet you can wipe that smug smirk off Jacqueline's face! C'mon let's go see if we can find a song for you to practice!" She took Ella's hand and the two took off for the music library.

"Don't think this means I'm actually going to do this!" she cried as they made their way upstairs.

* * *

Two weeks. Two weeks since she last saw Erik. Ella was utterly miserable. Her life felt so incomplete without his lessons to look forward too. She went to the chapel nearly every day, but he wasn't there. He had abandoned her completely.

"Ella, are you excited?" Meg asked. "Auditions are today!"

She shook her head. "Meg I told you, I'm not. I can't. I can't sing for other people. I freeze up and I freak out. I mean, you saw when I fainted!"

"Then don't sing to impress other people," her friend replied. "Sing because you want to. And while you're at it, sing to show up Jacqueline."

"Maybe next time," Ella insisted. "But not today."

Meg sighed in defeat. "Maybe it won't be so bad with Jacqueline as Prima Donna. Maybe she'll be nicer once she's above us. Oh wait; she'll be an even bigger horror."

"It's possible she won't even get the part!" she said, trying to boost her friend's spirit. "Someone else might."

"Yeah, right," Meg snorted. "Of course she'll get it, just to spite us. Let's just go watch and pray there's someone better than her willing to try out."

As singer after singer had their turn on the stage, Ella couldn't help but dwell on Meg's words. _Don't sing to impress people_. But what if she wanted to. What if she could impress Erik? What if he left her because he thought she wasn't worth the effort? Could she impress him enough to come back?

When the number of people auditioning dwindled down to zero, unfortunately it looked like Meg was going to be right. Jacqueline was definitely one of the better singers. Ella suddenly made up her mind. "Monsieur Reyer! I'd like to audition!" she announced, standing up.

The conductor looked to the managers who shrugged. "Why not?" Andre sighed.

"I knew you'd do it!" Meg cried.

Ella made her way to the front of the stage. She could feel herself clamming up as everyone stared at her. What on earth had she been thinking? Then she looked up to Box Five, realized Erik was there, and knew why she was doing this. Keeping all focus on that box, she let everything melt away as she began to sing a desperate plea to Erik.

"_Someone to hold you too close  
Someone to hurt you too deep  
Someone to sit in your chair  
And ruin your sleep  
And make you aware of being alive_

_Someone to need you too much_  
_Someone to know you too well_  
_Someone to pull you up short_  
_And put you through hell_  
_And give you support for being alive-being alive_  
_Make me alive, make me confused_  
_Mock me with praise, let me be used_  
_Vary my days, but alone is alone, not alive!_

_Somebody hold me too close_  
_Somebody force me to care_  
_Somebody make me come through_  
_I'll always be there_  
_As frightened as you of being alive,_  
_Being alive, being alive!_

_Someone you have to let in_  
_Someone whose feelings you spare_  
_Someone who, like it or not_  
_Will want you to share a little, a lot of being alive_  
_Make me alive, make me confused_  
_Mock me with praise, let me be used_  
_Vary my days, but alone is alone, not alive!_

_Somebody crowd me with love_  
_Somebody force me to care_  
_Somebody make me come through_  
_I'll always be there_  
_As frightened as you to help us survive,_  
_Being alive, being alive, being alive, being alive"_

The moment she finished, the entire theater burst into applause, yanking Ella back into reality. She felt her knees get weak and the room began to spin from all the attention. Thankfully, Meg pulled her aside. "You did fantastic! Where on earth have you been hiding that voice all this time? You definitely got the part! If they don't give it to you, then the Phantom better make them give it to you!"

* * *

Up in Box Five, Erik was thinking the same thing. It was amazing how much progress Ella had made. Although, looking over, her face was a chalky white. She looked as though she was going to faint, but Meg Giry was taking care of her, fending off all the staff who wanted to praise the poor girl.

Erik knew that her song was meant for him. He wanted nothing more than to reply to her, but he was still bound by his promise to Antoinette. Looking across the theater for her, intending to send her a glare for what she was putting them through. Much to his surprise, she was talking to the patron.

The boy seemed rather pleased with himself. Erik wondered what he was up to. He pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to Antoinette. Just as he put it back, Erik saw the glint of gold. His heart stopped when he realized it was a ring. An engagement ring.


	25. Chapter 25

Archer pushed past the crowd surrounding his prize. Her voice had captured the entire theater, proving she was a siren in both beauty and song. He took Ella by the hand. "Come with me love. I have something for you."

"What is it?" she asked in curiosity.

He smiled. "It's a surprise." He pulled her up through the opera house and onto the snow covered roof. It was the most private place he could think of, and he didn't want this moment to be interrupted. He didn't want whoever was after Ella to know what he was doing. This had to remain secret for her own safety.

"Why are we up here?" Ella hugged herself, shaking from the freezing temperature. "Archer, it's cold up here."

"We'll only be up here for a few moments," he replied, before pulling off his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Better?"

She nodded and pulled it tighter around herself. "But now you'll be cold."

"I'm fine," he replied, amused by her concern.

"So what are we doing up here?" she inquired.

"Ella you know I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Archer, where is this going?"

He slowly sank to one knee and pulled out the ring he had in his pocket. "Ella, I love you. You mean the world to me. I want you in my life forever. I want you at my side from now until the end of time. Ella, love, will you marry me?"

* * *

"Oh Archer," Ella whispered to the man on his knee before her. The sparkling diamond ring he presented to her demanded an answer this moment. "I…I…I don't know what to say."

"Say yes," he replied. "It's as simple as that."

"It's just that this is all so sudden. I wasn't expecting this." A thousand things whirled through her mind. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't accept this proposal. "I…I can't."

"Why not?" Archer demanded. "Ella, this is our chance for us to be together, our chance for us to be happy." He slipped the ring on her finger and pressed his lips against hers. Ella could feel his desperation in the kiss. "If it's him, if it's whoever hurt you, don't let him stop us. We can leave Paris; we can leave France if you want. We can go wherever you choose."

"You want to elope?" she cried in surprise. "What would people say?"

"Who cares what they think?" he countered. "Ella, I love you! You're the only person I want to be with. I'll do anything to protect you!"

Ella closed her eyes, trying to come up with the right thing to say. Erik owned her heart, but he was nowhere to be found. Archer was here and he wanted her now. "We're mid-production. I can't just leave here now."

"There won't be a better time for us to leave than right now. There's no Prima Donna at the moment, there's nothing stopping us."

She shook her head and tugged the ring from her finger. "I auditioned for the lead. I can't leave. Please understand."

Archer took her hands and kissed them gently. "Forget this place. Ella, come with me. I can give you whatever you want; I can make your dreams come true. All you have to do is say yes."

"I…I need some time. Let me think this over," she begged. "Just a couple days. That's all I ask. Just let me think this through. Please."

He nodded and kissed her again. "Take all the time you need love."

* * *

Erik saw nothing but red, rage burning within. How dare that boy kiss his angel like it was his God-given right! At least she hadn't given him a straight answer. There was still hope she loved him.

Keeping out of sight, he followed Ella back downstairs. Perhaps there was some way he could convey his feelings to her without Antoinette finding out. He needed to slip Ella a message, to prove he still cared. Then he realized he took orders from no one. Erik moved to step out in front of her, when a hand wrapped around his arm, tugging him away.

"Leave her alone," Antoinette ordered.

"Five minutes," he pleaded. "Five minutes with her, that's all I ask. Then I'll never bother her again if that's her wish. Just let me speak with her."

"No Erik. She's had a hard enough life; she doesn't need you hurting her more."

"You think I don't know that?" he cried. "But he's trying to convince her to elope with him. He knows nothing about her. He's after her for her beauty, nothing more!"

"And you're after her for her voice," the ballet mistress retorted. "So tell me, how are you any different from him?"

"I know her! I know her pain! She's told me what her father did to her! And she knows what the gypsies did to me! We have a connection, one that even Christine and I didn't have."

"Yet somehow she's discussing running away with the patron and not with you."

"Because you won't let me tell her how I feel. I promised her I wouldn't let anyone send her away, which means I have to listen to you despite what I think." He sighed. "Just let me talk to her!"

* * *

Ella paced back and forth across her dressing room, torn apart. It had been three days since Archer had proposed, and she had yet to give him an answer. She loved Erik, but he wasn't here. She couldn't spend the rest of her life waiting around for someone who wasn't going to come. Archer was so incredibly kind and loving towards her. Someday, maybe, she could grow to really care for him.

But was it fair to Archer? She didn't love him, and for all she knew, she'd spend the rest of her life pining for Erik. Technically Archer never asked for her love, but Ella was sure he would want it. And there was a bigger question: Could she live with him forever?

There was a knock on the door before Archer walked into the room. "How are you, love?" She offered him a soft smile as her only response. "Have you reached a decision yet?"

She hesitated for a few more moments before replying with, "How soon did you want to leave?"

Archer beamed and placed the ring on her hand. "We'll leave Sunday night. We can get married then leave Paris. We'll go wherever you want." He pulled her against him and kissed her more passionately than he had ever before.

"Oops, am I interrupting?"

Ella instantly pulled away and turned to the door. "Meg," she gasped. "I…It's…um…"

Her friend held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm sorry. I'm leaving."

Everyone was uncomfortable. Ella could feel her face flush and she could see Meg's cheeks turn red as well. Archer was able to disguise his embarrassment much better than the two girls. "Miss Giry, wait a moment. I'm sure we can depend on you to keep this quiet."

"Yes, well, I um…I came to tell you, Ella, that you go the part, but I can see that you're, um, kind of busy," Meg stammered.

"I…I got the part?" Ella gasped. She turned to Archer. "I got the part!"

"Ella, does this change your answer?" Archer asked softly.

"Change what answer?" Meg asked, before she spotted the ring. "Ohmygoodnessnoway!"

"Meg, don't tell anyone," Ella begged. She took the ring off and gave it to Archer. "Can Meg and I talk?" He nodded and kissed her quickly before disappearing.

"So…?" Meg asked with a wicked grin.

"He wants to elope Sunday night," Ella confessed.

"That's so romantic!" her friend squealed. "But you just got the lead. Are you going to give that up?"

Ella sighed. "I don't know. Honestly, I don't think I ever actually said yes to his proposal."

"You didn't?"

"I asked for time to think about it, and then I asked what he was planning to do if I said yes. He just kind of assumed that meant yes I guess."

"What are you going to do? Are you going to run away with him?"

Ella shook her head before admitting, "I don't know."


	26. Chapter 26

Jacqueline watched as Archer discussed his plans with Ella. "I know a little church on the outer edge of Paris. I've talked to the priest; he's agreed to marry us. We'll leave tonight. We'll go to the church and then we'll leave Paris."

Unseen from her place in the shadows, she glared at that stupid redhead. The patron was supposed to be hers! The role as Prima Donna was supposed to be hers! She wasn't even the best dancer now that Ella had shown up. Ella was the new girl. She had no right to any of this! Did seniority mean nothing anymore?

Then an idea struck her. If Ella was running away with Archer, then she couldn't very well stay and be lead soprano anymore could she? And because Jacqueline had been the favorite until Ella auditioned, she would get the role. As for the patron? Well, the world was full of compromise Jacqueline supposed. There'd be other handsome, wealthy men. Ella could have Archer if that was the difference of her getting the lead.

"Miss Giry has also agreed to come to the wedding to be our witness," Archer continued. "But she's coming back here afterwards. She'll tell everyone you're safe, so no one gets too worried. We can't tell anyone that we're leaving until after we're gone. It'll be better that way."

Jacqueline had to suppress a laugh. They thought they were being so sneaky. But no one in this opera house who was as sneaky as they thought. Absolutely no one.

* * *

Tonight was the night. Ella stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering what she was going to do. Archer had bought a beautiful wedding gown for her, which Meg was lacing up for her. He told her that they were going to be married in this church on the outskirts of Paris before fleeing the city. He didn't say where they were going, but she didn't want to know.

"Oh Ella, you look amazing!" Meg cried. "I can't believe it! You came to the opera just two months ago and you're already getting married! How romantic!"

"Meg, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"It's nothing," her friend replied. "I'm sure you would've done the exact same thing for me."

"Ella?" Archer called, walking in. "Oh Ella, you look like an angel from heaven." He kissed her and when he pulled away, the diamonds she had returned to him earlier were back around her neck. "Are you ready love?" She swallowed hard and nodded. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll go ahead and go wait out there too," Meg added. "You're ready."

She didn't have the heart to tell her friend that she was far from ready. Once they were out of the room, Ella began to pace. Meg was right; she was getting married really early. She had only known Archer two months, and she didn't even claim that she _knew_ him. There was so much about Archer she didn't know. He was essentially a total stranger to her, yet she was somehow engaged to him. Was she really going to dive into this and possibly throw her life away?

Looking back in the mirror, she resumed staring at her reflection, when Erik appeared behind her. Whirling around, she was crushed when she realized it was just in her mind. Of course he wasn't here. Why would he be?

It was time. Ella wanted to cry. She wouldn't admit it, but she half-wanted Erik to come out of nowhere and take her away. Obviously that wasn't going to happen. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the entrance of the church.

Meg and Archer were waiting for her. Taking slow deliberate steps, Ella forced herself down the aisle. Archer took her hand and kissed her knuckles when she reached his side. Her mind was spinning at a thousand miles an hour as the priest began.

"I do." To her horror, they had already reached the vows and Archer had said yes. It was her turn to say those dreaded two words.

She wanted to faint. "I…I…I…" she sputtered.

"Ella?" Archer pressed.

"Do you?" the priest asked.

"I…I can't," she whispered before pulling her skirts up to her knees and fleeing the church.

"Ella!" Archer shouted. "Ella!" She could hear him behind her, but Ella grabbed the necklace, ripped it from her neck, and dropped it. Because he stopped to pick it up, she was able to escape.

Without stopping for anything, she ran all the way back to the opera. Ella flew to her dressing room and tugged on the mirror until it finally swung open. Not thinking about what she was doing, she took off through the tunnel. She stumbled several times, tripping over the uneven surface, and scraping her hands on the stone floor when she fell. But Ella continued without even slowing, she was so utterly desperate.

* * *

Erik paced around on the roof, clenching and unclenching his jaw. Had he known where exactly Archer took his angel, he would have gone there immediately to take her back, Antoinette or no Antoinette. But the stupid boy just loaded her and Meg Giry into a carriage, saying they were going to a church and that they wouldn't be back.

He couldn't believe she was actually going to marry him. That she was gone. That he had lost again. For a brief time, Erik had honestly thought he had found someone to love him, but she waltzed right out of his life just as quickly as she had come. Screaming every profanity he knew into the sky, it finally began to sink in. He had been abandoned again.

When he had run out of swears, Erik climbed onto the ledge, contemplating on jumping. Eventually he backed down. As much as he hated life, he was not too keen on the idea of death. He sighed and let the crushing pain overwhelm him.

Slowly he trekked down towards the comforting darkness of his lair, with the intent to never leave again. It was far less painful that way. But as he reached the shore of the lake, there was something he wasn't expecting waiting for him.

"Erik!" Ella screamed across the lake, completely oblivious to his presence behind her. "Erik, please!" She sank to her knees, began to cry, and whispered, "I need you."

"El…Ella?" he sputtered, completely shocked.

She whirled around, his name on her lips. Her hair was in disarray, the hem of her white gown was tattered, and her cheeks were tear-stained. It took him a whole two seconds to figure out what had happened. Ella threw herself into his arms with enough force to knock him backwards to the ground. "Erik, oh Erik, I…I know you don't want me here, but I didn't know where else to go," she sobbed, clinging to his jacket.

"Of course I want you here," he murmured, but Ella was crying so hard, he didn't think she heard him. Her whole body was shaking like a leaf. "What happened?"

"He...he…he wanted to marry me. He wanted to run away. But I…I couldn't. I couldn't leave here. I…I couldn't leave you. So I…I ran away, but he's going to find me and make me leave with him. You can't let him!"

"I won't," he assured her. "And you know I don't break my promises."

She gave another loud sob. "Hold me."

Erik quickly obliged before leaning in and gently kissing her tears away. "It's okay, mon Ange. You're here now. He won't be able to find you here. He can't make you do anything if he doesn't know where you are."


	27. Chapter 27

_Hey guys it's me. Just thought I'd let you all know that school's going again (if you haven't figured that out by now). That means updates with be inconstant, but still at least about once a week. Luckily for you guys, this semester is easier than last, and my other fanfic just wrapped up, so I only have to update this one for now. FYI I am doing voting for my next story, but I won't start that until this one is done, mostly done, or I have an absolutely awful case of writer's block (that last one is a worst case scenario). Read and Review, you know how this works. Enjoy!_

_~nibblesfan_

* * *

Erik stroked Ella's hair as her sobs eventually began to slow. "Look at me," she hiccupped. "I'm absolutely pathetic." She hid her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm such a mess."

"You're fine," Erik replied soothingly. "I completely understand. But you're safe now. I won't let anyone force you to do anything you don't want to do. Okay?" She nodded, but kept her face buried in his shoulder. He gently pulled her away and tilted her face to him, but Ella shut her eyes. "Will you please look at me?"

Slowly she opened her eyes. They were red and puffy from her tears and their stormy grey color was swirled with fear. He gave her a soft smile before rubbing away the tears on her cheeks. "Erik, I'm scared," she whimpered.

"Scared of what?"

"Archer isn't going to let this go. Erik, I ran away from what was supposed to be our wedding. He's not going to be so forgiving about this."

"I won't let him hurt you," Erik promised. "Ella, I'll protect you." She threw her arms tightly around his neck. The sound of footsteps reached his ear, so he pulled her into a protective embrace. "I trust this is more than enough proof for you Antoinette," he said, when she appeared in the tunnel.

"Proof?" Ella repeated. "Proof of what?"

"What happened, Ella?" the ballet mistress asked, running towards the couple. "What are you doing down here?"

"He…Archer…wanted to take me away. He wanted to get married. But I ran away. I didn't know where else to go," she sniffled. "So I came here."

"To me," Erik added smugly. "You know what that means."

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked.

"Antoinette told me that if I came near you again, she'd send you away," Erik replied, shooting a bitter glare at the ballet mistress.

"_Why_?!"

"I wanted to make sure you weren't in any danger. Erik _usually _means well," she replied carefully. "But he doesn't always think about things rationally, especially when he gets emotionally involved. I told him it was your choice and yours alone. He couldn't make it for you."

"That's why you left," Ella gasped. "I thought…I thought I wasn't worthy of you."

"No!" Erik cried. "If anything, I'm not worthy of you." Ella gave him a watery smile before leaning in and gently kissing him. Erik relished her touch, even though he could taste her salty tears. "I never wanted to leave you."

"Ella, you realize that your fiancé is frantic," Antoinette interrupted. "He was practically beating down my door trying looking for you. He was considering calling the police if he didn't find you soon."

"I'm not going to marry him," she replied, shaking her head. Erik could feel her heart start race as she started to panic again. "If he finds me, he'll force me to! Madame Giry, I can't! Please don't make me face him!"

"Listen to me Cheri," Erik said softly. "Unlike me, you belong in the light and you can't stay in the darkness. He'll be upset and probably angry, it's true, but I won't let him hurt you."

"Erik, I can't!" Ella was quickly dissolving into hysterics. "Oh Erik, don't make me go upstairs. I don't want you to leave me!"

"I won't if you don't want me to," he assured her. "I'll stay on the other side of the mirror the whole time, and if he upsets you or tries anything, I'll be right there to stop him. All you have to do is call." She hesitated so he continued with, "You can't hide from the world."

"That's what you're doing!" she accused. "How can you say that I can't?"

"Because you're an angel. You bring light to everything you do. I'm a monster doomed to the darkness of hell because of my face." He caressed her cheek. "I'm trying to save you from my fate."

"Maybe I don't want to be saved!" she shouted. "How come no one asks me what I want?"

"Ella, I'll do whatever you ask of me," Erik replied. "But first we need him to leave us alone. And the only way that will happen is if you make it happen."

Slowly she nodded. "I'll do it. For us."

He smiled. "Come. The police in my opera house is not a welcome suggestion." Erik gently pulled her to feet and wrapped his cape around her shoulders, explaining, "It's cold down here."

The odd trio made their way back upstairs to the doorway that also served as Ella's mirror. "Oh God, I can't do this," Ella suddenly cried, whirling around. She was trembling and her face was quickly losing color.

Erik gently pulled her close and kissed her temple. "You can. I'll be right here. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise you."

Antoinette handed him back his cape, before turning to Ella. "I'll be with you in there the whole time. You won't be alone."

"You don't have to do that," Ella replied.

"But you are a ballerina in my care, which means I do. And I'm sure you'll need all the support you can get. Erik means well, but someone needs to have a more rational approach to this whole situation."

"I'm insulted," Erik pouted.

* * *

While they waited for Archer, Madame Giry began pulling pins out of Ella's hair, slowly setting her red curls free from the once-elegant up-do it had been in. Suddenly the door burst open and Meg flew in. "Ella! Oh thank goodness! We've been looking everywhere for you! What happened?"

As she stuttered, searching for an answer, Archer appeared. "Ella, love, are you okay? What happened?"

"Archer, please, just leave me alone!" She was just getting so frustrated with having to have this fight with him. He just never listened to her about anything.

"Ella, what's wrong? Why did you run? Did someone threaten you?"

"No!" she shouted. "Archer please. I don't want to see you anymore."

"Who's threatening you?" he demanded.

"No one!" Ella shouted. "Archer don't you get that? No one is threatening me! Please, I just realized everything's moving faster than I can handle, and I need to have some sort of control over my life."

"Things are going too fast for you? Then we'll slow down!" Archer cried. "But if you felt I was pushing you too much, then you should have said something!"

"I tried! Archer you don't listen to me!"

"I'm listening now!" he replied. "Just tell me what's going on! I'll do whatever you want to keep you happy!"

Ella stared into his desperate eyes for a moment and realized what she had to do. She could feel tears welling up. Archer was a good man, he didn't deserve this, but it was hurt him badly now or hurt him even worse later. "Do you mean it?" she whispered. "Do you truly mean that?"

"Yes of course I do love." He moved to kiss her, but Ella twisted away. Out of the corner of her eye, Ella saw Madame Giry move in front of the mirror, a barrier to keep from Erik bursting into the room. "What do you want me to do?"

"Archer, I want you to leave. Please. Just go."

"I…I don't understand."

"I don't want to marry you. Not now, not ever, Archer."

"What's gotten into you Ella?" he asked. "This isn't like you."

"Go," she pleaded. "Go and find someone who can be with you. Someone that deserves you."

"Ella," he protested. "I don't want 'someone', I want you! I love you!"

"But I don't love you!" she screamed. The second the words slipped out, Ella clapped her hands over her mouth. She had been trying so very hard not to say it in those words. She had been trying to end this delicately. She had been trying to spare his feelings.

Archer stood there, utterly dumbfounded. "Ella?" he whispered in shock.

"I'm sorry," she cried. Her tears began to fall at the utterly dejected look on his face. "I didn't want things to end this way. I really didn't."

His mouth moved like he was trying to speak, but no sound came out. Archer looked so heartbroken. Finally he turned and disappeared out the door, unable to say anything more. "Ella?" Meg began softly. "What happened?"

"Just go Meg," Ella begged. "Leave me alone."

"But…but…" Madame Giry ushered her objecting daughter out. She looked back to Ella to make sure she was okay, but Ella just waved her away.

The second the door closed, Ella felt a pair of strong, secure arms wrap around her. It was then, in Erik's embrace, that Ella truly let herself break down in tears of relief and regret for hurting Archer. "Don't worry," Erik murmured into her ear. "The worst of it's over now. You're almost done."

Little did they know it was simply half-time.


	28. Chapter 28

"Nervous?" Erik asked the white-faced and shaking Ella. She just glared at him. "You'll be fantastic. You have one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard."

"That doesn't mean I won't faint," she replied. "God Erik, don't you realize how many people are out there? They're all going to be staring at me!"

Erik chuckled. "That's the point of being an actress Cheri. If you don't want people to see you, then you picked the wrong career."

"You're not helping!" she cried. Ella began to pace. "Why did I agree to this? Jacqueline can do this. I can't!"

"Do you really mean that?" he questioned with a gentle, playful smile. "You'd really have the girl who shoved you down a flight of stairs be the lead over you?"

"Maybe, if it means I still have my dignity after tonight. I'll faint if I go out!"

"Ma Ange, I have faith in you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have stopped to offer you my help." He caressed her cheek. "You have so much talent, you shouldn't waste it."

She turned her face into his touch. "Erik, you're going to be watching right?"

"Of course," he replied. "I'll be in Box Five the whole time. You have nothing to worry about."

"I have to go get into costume. The show will be starting soon." She hesitated before going, "Erik will you kiss me? For luck? It is my first performance as the lead after all."

He smiled before leaning in and tenderly pressing his lips against hers. "Luck for you or for me?" he teased. "Because I'm feeling pretty lucky right about now."

"Well that makes one of us. Erik, what if I mess up? What if I faint? There could be an accident. I could forget my lines, I could trip and fall, I…"

"Ella," he laughed. "There are a thousand things that could go wrong. But nothing will. You're better than that. You won't do anything wrong. And as for any 'accidents' on stage, the Phantom is taking the night off. Everything will go perfectly."

"But I can't sing for other people!" Ella protested. "You know I can't!"

"You sang for your audition. They didn't just decide to make you lead soprano," Erik reminded her. "The only person that can claim that is La Carlotta, and that is by far the worst mistake the managers have ever made."

"I wasn't singing for them at my audition though! I was singing for you!"

Erik brushed a stray curl off of Ella's forehead. "Then sing for me tonight." His voice dropped to a seductive purr as he sang "_Sing my angel of music! Sing for me!"_ Ella nearly swooned at his silky smooth voice. She loved when he sang to her. It always made her feel things she had never experienced before meeting him. He bravely leaned in and captured her lips once more. "Good luck, I'll see you after the show." Once Erik had left Ella, quickly went to go change. The show was starting soon.

* * *

Ella stared out into the theater, frozen. It was time for her first aria, but she wasn't sure she could do it. She could hear the orchestra working their way through their introduction, and it was nearly time for her to begin. Looking up to Box Five, she saw Erik step into the light just long enough for her to see him. Letting everything else melt away, Ella kept her focus on him and began to sing.

_"There only so much  
That a heart can take  
Before it starts to break_

_Please don't make me love you_  
_Please don't make me need you_  
_I've no room in my life_  
_For something like this_

_Please don't take my mornings_  
_Please don't steal my summers_  
_I know they will vanish_  
_The moment we kiss_

_I grow weak when we talk_  
_I'm confused when we touch_  
_I should just walk away_  
_But that's asking too much_

_Pease don't make me do this_  
_Please don't make me want this_  
_All my drams were taken_  
_Until I met you_

_You're the one I think of_  
_Soon as I awaken_  
_Funny how the heart tells_  
_The mind what to do_

_I'm not sure I can go through all_  
_The joy and the pain_  
_Much better now_  
_To let these dreams take flight!_

_Please don't make me love you_  
_Please don't make me need you_  
_Simplify my life_  
_By just setting me free_

_Promise me you'll do this_  
_Only you can do this_  
_Please don't make me love you_  
_Unless you love me"_

As her final note faded, the entire audience burst out into applause, giving her a standing ovation. Ella didn't even notice, her focus remaining on Box Five. She saw Erik clapping with everyone else and he gave her a triumphant smile, all the encouragement Ella needed to continue on.

* * *

"That was fantastic!" Meg cried as she helped Ella out of her costume. "I don't know if we've ever had a show go that well! And it's all thanks to you!"

"I'm sure that's not true," Ella argued. "I'm sure you've had better shows before."

"Not like that! The closest thing we had was Christine's debut. Don't tell her I said this, but I think you're just as good, if not better than her! Your voice is fantastic!"

"Thank you," Ella murmured, turning red at her friend's praise.

"We're going out tonight right?" Meg suddenly asked. "After all, after a performance like that, we have got to celebrate!"

Ella shook her head with a yawn. "Absolutely not. I feel like I can fall asleep right here, right now. I just want to go to bed."

Meg sighed. "Okay, but we are so going out next time! I'll see you in a bit. You might want to stay in here, seeing as every man in the opera house will be looking to attract your attention, and _he'll_ be out there somewhere probably too."

"See you in a while," Ella replied. Once her friend was gone, she turned to the mirror. "How was I?"

Erik smiled. "You sounded like an angel from heaven. I was so pleased. You've made so much improvement since you've arrived, it's astounding."

"Well I had a good tutor," Ella said modestly as she sat down on the futon. "But since I sang for you, you have to sing for me."

"I don't remember that being part of the deal."

Ella gave him a playful smile. "I just made it part of the deal."

"_I have been blind, unwilling to see  
The true love you're giving.  
I have ignored every blessing.  
I'm on my knees confessing_

_That I feel myself surrender_  
_Each time I see your face._  
_I am staggered by your beauty,_  
_Your unassuming grace._  
_And I feel my heart is turning,_  
_Falling into place._  
_I can't hide_  
_Now hear my confession._

_I have been wrong about you._  
_Thought I was strong without you._  
_For so long nothing could move me._  
_For so long nothing could change me._  
_Now I feel myself surrender_  
_Each time I see your face._  
_I am captured by your beauty,_  
_Your unassuming grace._  
_And I feel my heart is turning,_  
_Falling into place._  
_I can't hide_  
_Now hear my confession."_

Erik smiled when he saw Ella's eyes begin to close. She was so exhausted, but he couldn't blame her. He gently stroked her cheek as she lay down, and finished his song, lulling her to sleep.

_"You are the air that I breathe.  
You're the ground beneath my feet.  
When did I stop believing?_

_Cause I feel myself surrender_  
_Each time I see your face._  
_I am staggered by your beauty,_  
_Your unassuming grace._  
_And I feel my heart_  
_Falling into place._  
_I can't hide_  
_Now hear my confession._  
_I can't hide_  
_Now hear my confession._  
_Hear my confession"_


	29. Chapter 29

Ella picked up the white rose lying on her vanity. It was something Erik left for her after every show, whether he was able to talk to her or not. She touched the soft petals before placing the flower in a vase that contained the other roses he had presented her. "Who leaves you all these?" Meg asked. "Did you ever find out?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter really. I mean, it's just a rose. It's not like anything bad is going to happen from a flower."

"Someone is sneaking into your dressing room to leave you flowers! What if it turns into something more than that? Ella, this could potentially turn into something serious. I've already nearly lost one friend to a stalker! I don't want to relive that!"

"Meg, I swear to you that I haven't heard any 'angels'. And if I do, you'll be the first to know," Ella replied reassuringly. "And like I said, it's simply a flower. If anything changes, I'll tell you. It's probably just a stagehand anyway."

"Yeah you're probably right," Meg said with a sigh. "Wouldn't be the first time either. They either can't work up the nerve to say anything or they do it as a joke."

"But if I do randomly go missing, you should probably be alarmed," Ella added with a laugh. "Just saying. I really don't wish to be kidnapped."

"That would be bad," her friend agreed. "So if you're going to get dragged off, make sure you leave a note or something so I know."

The two girls laughed. "I'll be sure to do that." Ella wondered what Erik was thinking about this. She wasn't about to look with Meg in the room, but she was pretty sure he was behind the mirror. Pretending to check her hair, Ella offered the mirror a soft smile, on the chance that Erik was there.

"Now let's go!" Meg exclaimed. "You've been prima donna for a whole week now! That calls for some fun!"

"I think you're just looking for an excuse to go out," Ella said with a laugh.

"Of course I am! Now are we going or not? C'mon let's go."

* * *

Erik watched Meg pull Ella out. Already, after just _a week_ on stage, she was becoming more comfortable. She still didn't like the attention, but she was learning to live with it, and it took less coaxing to get her to perform. The tutor part of him disapproved her going out so late, but Ella deserved a treat.

Then Erik realized what was happening. He was letting his emotions get in the way. Ella's career could be in danger if he let himself get too involved with her emotionally. Not to mention he risked scaring her away if he kept up this quick pace between them. Yes he loved her, but he didn't want to lose her. He had to slow down, or he'd potentially ruin everything he'd been working for.

Letting himself into her dressing room, Erik walked over to the vase of roses. He ran his fingers along the petals of one of the flowers, deep in thought. This was going to have to be a delicate dance. If his rhythm got off, then he'd lose. Moving too fast would frighten Ella away, but if he moved too slowly then Ella might think he was pushing her away.

He sighed. He had learned too many lessons from Christine, and Erik wasn't willing to go down that road again. That meant from now on he was going to have to take this one cautious step at a time. Hopefully this time he would succeed in winning over his love.

"Oh Ella," Erik murmured. "What am I going to do about you?"

Suddenly his attention shot to the door. Someone was on the other side, jiggling the handle, wanting in. Luckily Ella had locked it before she left, but Erik retreated behind the mirror just to be safe. Eventually whoever wanted in gave up and disappeared. He wondered who on earth wanted in here and why.

* * *

Jacqueline had had enough. Prima Donna was to be her title, and if Ella thought she was going to stand aside and let her have it, she had another thing coming. She was going to get the lead, no matter the cost.

It wasn't fair. The Phantom obviously had a tendency to pick the stupid girls out of the bunch. Christine thought he was an angel, and who knew what story he told Ella. Oh yes, she knew about their 'secret' lessons. Ella thought she was so careful, so sneaky. But she would leave at the same time every week. _So predictable _she thought with an eye roll. Jacqueline had tailed her a few times, but always the same result. She would _always_ go to the chapel. From time to time, Jacqueline would stay and listen for a bit, and it was most definitely the Phantom that Ella was seeing. She had been there the night of the _Don Juan_ incident, and that was one voice she'd never forget.

The Phantom was the source of her dilemma. She could never be the lead with Ella here because he would never allow it. But she couldn't go near Ella to get rid of her herself or she would have to face the wrath of the Phantom. Luckily she knew someone that could solve both of her problems. All it would take was a little timing and some good acting.

"So where are we going?" Jacqueline stepped aside to let Ella and Meg pass as they headed out the door, arm in arm.

"Oh there's this awesome little café down the street. Christine and I went there a few times after performances but then she suddenly wouldn't go out. You'll love it!" She smiled as they disappeared. She wasn't expecting to be able to put her plan in action quite so soon, provided he was still here.

She finally found him working his way away from the managers. Jacqueline quickly made herself look panicked and the second he was alone, she ran up to him.

* * *

"Monsieur Dubois!" Archer turned and saw a dark haired girl running towards him. He recognized her as one of the ballerinas. "Monsieur! Please!"

"What is it?" he asked, unsure why this girl would ever feel the need to talk to him, but she looked hysterical.

"It's Ella! She…she…"

Even though Ella had broken off their engagement, he felt a surge of fear. "What is it? What's wrong? What happened?" He grabbed her upper arms tightly. "Where's Ella?"

"I…I don't know!" she cried. "He's taken her!" The girl let out a sob. "He took her!"

"Who took her?" Archer demanded.

"The Phantom did Monsieur! The Phantom took her like he did Christine!"

"You're kidding," he replied, turning away. She grabbed his shoulder, but he shook her off. "I don't have time for ghost stories."

"It's not a ghost story! He's not really a ghost. He's a madman that no one's been able to catch! He burned down the entire opera house a year ago! Monsieur, Ella is in very real danger!"

He hesitated. If Ella was in danger, he had to do something. "How do you know it's this 'Phantom'?"

"Because he's been behind everything! He's the one who broke her ankle! He told me that if I said it was him, he'd kill me! He's the one who cause all her bruises! She disappears all the time. He takes her and God knows what he does to her! Monsieur, she loves you, but I heard him tell her that if she married you, he'd kill you both! That's why she left!"

"You're sure of this?"

"I've heard him talking to her! Monsieur, he has such an awful temper. His threats are far from idle. He _will _kill her if she disobeys him. She's in danger here! You have to find her and take her away."

"But why hasn't she told me any of this?" Archer asked. "If Ella loves me, then wouldn't she have told me?"

"Because Monsieur, he's got her under his spell. He's doing the same thing for to her that he did to Christine! His voice Monsieur, his voice can hypnotize people so they do whatever he wants! She can't tell you because he won't let her!"

Archer stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "I must be crazy for listening to you." He pushed past her and ran to Ella's dressing room, the girl on his heels.

"Wait!" she hissed. "If you just go in there, and he's there, he'll kill you!"

He paused and placed his ear on the door, listening. "Oh Ella, what am I going to do about you?" a male voice sighed. Archer looked to the girl with wide eyes. He immediately grabbed the door handle and began rattling it, trying to get in, but the door was locked.

The girl grabbed his arm and dragged him away. "Are you mad? What part of he'll kill you don't you understand?!"

"But if Ella's in there, I can't just stand there while some madman has her!"

"As long as you stay out, she'll be fine. But you have got to take her away from here!" she whispered before disappearing.

Archer spent the next few hours pacing the opera house, wondering what he was going to do. Eventually he saw Ella entering her dressing room. "Ella!" he cried. He grabbed her arm and brought her close but she tried to pull away, her face quickly draining of color. "Ella where have you been?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied.

"Where have you been?"

"With a friend!" she shouted. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Listen to me," he begged. "Ella, something's wrong. Just tell me what it is!"

"Nothing's wrong!" Ella cried. She tore herself from his grasp, walked into her dressing room, and slammed the door in his face. "Just leave me alone! Is that too much to ask?"

He spent a few minutes more trying to plead with her but she wouldn't open the door. Maybe this was as bad as that girl said. Archer needed to get her out of here and get her out quickly, but as the other girl warned, Ella wouldn't go without a fight.

A plan began to formulate in his mind. It was rather distasteful, but he couldn't think of any other options. "Don't worry love," he murmured, staring at the still-closed door. "I won't let anything happen to you."


	30. Chapter 30

"Slow down, breathe deeply, and take your time," Erik ordered. "If you want to be able to hit those high notes, you need to focus. You're trying to rush the phrase and as a result, you're flat."

Ella nodded. "Anything else?"

"You just need time. Time to adjust still, time to perfect your technique," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You're just noticeably new to the stage, and there isn't a whole lot that can be done about that but continuing to perform."

"Are you sure?"

"You were born to sing, ma Ange."

She smiled. "Well I wouldn't say that, but I have been visited an Angel of Music."

Erik chuckled. "See? Very few people can claim to have that happen to them. Only the best of the best with nothing but pure talent have met the Angel of Music."

"I must be very lucky then." Ella closed the gap between them, placing her hands on his chest. Erik put his arms around her waist and hesitantly pulled her closer. She laughed softly. "So much for having a lesson."

He dropped his hands down to his side and took a step back. "You're right. We can't have you ruin your career because your tutor can't focus. How's being onstage? Getting easier?"

"Yes," Ella replied with a nod. "I just pretend there's nobody there. It helps until they all start clapping. Then it gets scary again."

"But once you get to that point, the hard part is over."

"Maybe, but I still don't like it."

"You are one strange girl," he said softly. "Most actresses thrive on attention, but you run from it as fast as you can."

Ella smiled. "I'm not most actresses."

"No Cheri, you most certainly are not," Erik murmured. "But that's what makes you you. I wouldn't have you any other way." He wasn't sure he would have fallen in love with her if she didn't have her alluring shyness.

A touch of pink lit up her cheeks. "Oh Erik. I…I…"

"Ella!" a voice called. "Where are you? You promised me you'd go shopping with me!"

"It's Meg!" she cried. "I forgot I told her I'd go with her! I have to go!"

Erik nodded. "Very well. Don't stay out late. Prima Donnas need to sleep too."

"I won't," she replied, before calling, "Hang on a second Meg, I'm coming!" Ella turned back to him. "Thank you Erik. See you tomorrow before the show?"

"If you wish," he answered.

"So I'll see you tomorrow before the show."

He smiled. "It would appear that way. Now you better go before your friend throws a tantrum."

She hugged him before leaving to go out with her friend before Erik could even return her embrace. "Ella, I love you," he murmured softly, even though she was gone. For a moment he wondered what she was going to say before Meg interrupted. Was she going to say those same three words? "No of course she wasn't," Erik told himself.

* * *

"What's up with you today?" Meg asked.

"Huh?"

Her friend laughed. "My point exactly. You've spent the entire afternoon in your head. It's like everything I say goes in one ear and out the other without you realizing I was talking it at all."

"Oh Meg, I'm sorry. It's not you. My head's just been in the clouds I guess." She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Erik. Before Meg had come looking for her, Ella had been trying to say 'I love you' to Erik, but obviously that didn't happen. She wondered what he would have said in response. Would he have said it back?

"Someone's definitely dreaming today. What's on your mind?"

Ella shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just kind of scatterbrained today. Everything's still kind of sinking in, you know?"

"You've certainly been busy, that's true. I mean with your engagement ending, becoming prima donna, and your first week on stage, it's a miracle you've held together so well under that stress. What's your secret?"

"I don't know," she lied. Erik was her secret, but she couldn't exactly tell her friend that. "I guess I'm just good at handling stress." She looked up and saw a sleazy looking man that appeared to be following them. Ella didn't know why, but he made her uncomfortable, and she wanted out of the open now. "I'm hungry, how about we stop at this café for an early dinner?"

"That's a good idea!" Meg agreed. "I'm starving!" As they disappeared into the café, Ella was glad to be off the street. She had an inexplicable bad feeling about him.

* * *

A while later they were enjoying dinner. "So tell me," Meg said through a mouthful of food. "What's it like being adored by hundreds of people every night?"

"If I could do it without all the people, I'd do it in a heartbeat," Ella replied. "I hate people watching me. Even after all that time at the opera, I don't like it."

"Really? But you're the best singer we've had in a long time. You still haven't gotten over your stage fright? I mean, you hide it so well."

"I guess," Ella sighed. "That doesn't mean I like it. I mean, you perform for everyone too. You have the same audience I do."

"That's different. I'm just there to pass the time till they get back to you," Meg protested.

"Oh come on Meg. You are the best dancer we have by far. You deserve just as much, if not more, recognition as me," Ella insisted. "Between your dancing and your mother's training, it's a wonder people bother to listen to the singing when you're on stage."

Meg's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Oh no, I forgot to run an errand for my mother! It'll only take a few minutes. Go ahead and head back, I'll meet you there in a bit! I'll see you later!"

After Meg left, Ella decided she better get back to the opera. Darkness was falling, and being alone on the streets of Paris at night wasn't something she wanted to go through.

She had only made it a few blocks when she heard footsteps behind her. Ella glanced back and saw the man from before. Determined not to panic over nothing, she started walking slightly faster, but not enough to be noticeable. As she turned onto another street, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him quickly closing the gap between them. Realizing he was after her, Ella took off at a sprint.

Footsteps pounded behind her, and the next thing Ella knew, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist and she was dragged into an alleyway. She opened her mouth to scream, but a handkerchief smelling of a harsh chemical was clamped over her mouth and nose. Automatically knowing that he was trying to drug her, Ella held her breath and fought his tight grip with every ounce of strength she had. "If you just breathe, it'll be over much quicker," he hissed in her ear. Desperately, she tried to twist her head away long enough to get a gulp of air, but she was no match for him. After a few moments, her lungs burning, she instinctively took a breath against her better judgment. Almost instantly, everything began to go fuzzy. "Now was that so hard?" the man purred.

"Stop!" a new, familiar voice cried. "You're going to kill her!"

The cloth was pulled away from her face, but it was too late. Even though Ella was fighting its effects as best she could, she felt sick and everything around her was spinning. "She's simply falling asleep," the man holding her replied. "No harm to her just like you said. Now pay up."

The new arrival handed something to her captor, and a dizzy Ella was shoved into his arms in return. She was carefully picked up, in an almost loving embrace. "I'm sorry love," Archer murmured. "But it was the only way I could get you away from there." Ella tried to respond, but she finally succumbed to the drug, her eyes slowly drifting shut.

* * *

Her eyes slowly fluttered open as her body jolted again. It felt like she was in a carriage. She was lying down on something cushioned, but her head was in someone's lap. Looking up, she saw him staring out the carriage window, as he absentmindedly stroked her hair. "Arch…Archer?" she croaked, her mouth dry as cotton, her mind still in a drug-induced cloud. "Wh…Where are we going?"

"Go back to sleep," he replied softly. "We still have a while to go."

"Are…are we going back to the opera?"

Archer's gaze returned to the window as she fell victim to the chloroform's lingering effects. "Not quite, love. Not quite."


	31. Chapter 31

"Erik!" Antoinette shouted, storming into his home. He placed the piece he was working on aside, before facing her, wondering what she was so upset about. "Erik where is she?"

"Where's who?" he asked, genuinely confused. "I've been right here, at my desk, composing all night! Anything that's happened is completely unrelated to me."

She looked around his lair, as though she was expecting someone to appear from nowhere. "But if she's not here, then where is she?"

"Antoinette, who are you looking for?"

"I thought when Meg couldn't find Ella last night that perhaps she was with you, but when she didn't turn up at rehearsal this morning…"

"Ella's missing?" Erik cried in horror. "Why didn't you tell me? How long has she been gone? When was the last time anyone has seen her?" he demanded as he ran upstairs, Antoinette on his heels.

"You didn't want me to interfere in your love life, remember?" she replied. "Meg said they went out shopping last night, but Ella was supposed to come back first, but no one saw her return. I just assumed she was with you."

They reached Ella's dressing room, and like he feared, it was exactly as it had been when she left the previous afternoon. "She disappeared on the streets of Paris at night and no one was concerned?!" Erik roared. "Anyone could have taken her! She could be anywhere, anything could have happened to her!" He took a deep breath, trying not to lose all control. "Has anyone contacted the police?"

"The managers didn't want to cause a scene."

"I'll kill those insolent fools," he snarled. "I don't care what they say; I want every officer in the city searching for Ella until she's found."

"Do you really want the police crawling all over the opera and risk them discovering you?"

"Whatever it takes to get her back safely," Erik answered. "Besides, I don't plan on staying here. I won't rest until I find her."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" Antoinette demanded. "We don't know anything other than the fact she's missing!"

"Somebody somewhere knows something," he replied. "And I will stop at nothing until I find out who knows what."

* * *

Ella stirred and slowly forced her eyes open. She was lying in a soft bed, wearing nothing but her thin chemise. "Where am I?" she groaned, realizing she had never seen this room before in her life. It was sumptuously decorated. Wherever she was, she was with someone with money.

She sat up cautiously, still slightly dizzy. "Good morning love." Ella screamed and yanked the blankets up to her chin, surprised that she wasn't alone. "Shush Ella," Archer said soothingly, sitting down on the edge of the bed and putting what was supposed to be a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're safe now."

"Where am I?" Ella repeated, pulling away from him. "Archer, what have you done?"

"I brought you here where you'd be safe," he replied.

"Where is here? Where are we?"

"We're at my country estate," he finally answered. "About half a day's journey from Paris. Don't worry, no one will find us here."

"Why have you brought me here?" she demanded.

"You were in danger there. Here I can protect you."

"Protect me from what? I'm not in danger from anything! The only one who's done anything to me is you! You had me drugged and dragged me from Paris to God knows where! I have to get back! Please! There are people there who will be looking for me!"

He moved to caress her face, but Ella shied away from his touch. Archer sighed then stood. "I'll send a maid in to help you dress and to bring you breakfast. I'm sure you're hungry."

"Archer!" she cried, trying to follow him but the door closed behind him. She grabbed the knob, but it was locked. "Archer!" Ella banged on the door repeatedly, screaming for him to come back. "Archer, open the door!" She sank to her knees and began to sob. "Take me home."

* * *

"Ella?" Archer walked into her bedroom and found her staring blankly out the window. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her breakfast lay untouched where the maid had left it. She looked beautiful in the blue gown she wore, but she seemed so sad. He took her chin and tried to gently turn her away head towards him, but she twisted away. "Look at me love."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered, still refusing to even face him.

"I'm doing this for you," he replied. "I have to save you."

"Save me from what?" Ella cried. "I wasn't in any danger!"

"I had to save you from the Phantom."

Her face drained of color. "How…how do you…how do you know about him? No…nobody knows about him. It…it was supposed to be a secret."

He thought about mentioning the girl, but he decided it didn't matter. "Listen to me; he won't be able to hurt you ever again. We're leaving for America in three days."

_"NO!"_ she screamed, her already pale face growing even whiter. "Archer I have to go back now! Oh God, when he finds out I'm gone…"

"You don't have to worry about him now. He'll never find you. You're free from him forever."

"Archer, please take me home, I'm begging you!" she pleaded. "I want to go back. I _need _to go back! You don't understand! I can't go to America!"

"I understand you're scared, but I'll stop at nothing to keep you safe. You know that love." Archer took her in his arms and kissed her with as much conviction he could muster. She shoved herself away and backed into a corner. "Ella what's wrong?"

"I don't want to go to America!" she shouted, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "Archer, I don't love you! Why can't you understand that?"

"Ella he can't touch you here."

"I love him!" Ella suddenly screamed. "I don't love you because I love him!"

"What?" His eyes grew wide. "El…Ella..." His heart felt like it was being ripped out of his chest. He took a deep breath trying to calm down. It wasn't her fault. "He's got you under a spell. You're not thinking straight."

She shook her head. "No, he hasn't done a thing to me! I'm thinking perfectly clear! He's given me music, taught me to sing! He's my guardian angel and I love him!"

He pulled her against his chest and rocked her gently. Ella was sobbing uncontrollably, and she flinched when he touched her. "You just need time," he said trying to convince himself just as much as her. "You're obviously still traumatized. It'll just take you some time. We just have to leave France, then, then you'll get better."


	32. Chapter 32

"So how exactly do you intend to find Ella?" Antoinette asked. The two watched as a handful of police officers interviewed various staff members. "No one saw her after she left with Meg." She gestured towards the officers. "Even they aren't coming up with anything useful. Everyone is just accusing the Phantom, just like whenever anything else goes wrong."

"Have you noticed that there's one person other that has disappeared as well?" Erik snapped. "Has anyone seen that boy? Ella rejected him. Desperate men will do desperate things." He sighed. "I speak from experience."

"Dubois was called away for business," she replied. "He should be on his way to England by now. He left for the coast the day before yesterday, so he was gone before Ella went missing."

"Find out the last place Meg was with Ella then," Erik told her. "I'll try to retrace her steps, and see if I can come up with anything. Maybe somebody saw something." Antoinette nodded and left to go find her daughter.

Antoinette returned a while later. "She's hysterical. But eventually I got her to say that they separated at a café called Le Figaro. It's just a few blocks away. Meg said she left to run a quick errand and Ella was going to head back. She arrived and Ella hadn't returned."

Erik nodded. "I'll start there then. Thank you for your help. Hopefully I'll see you soon, and I'll have Ella with me."

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Jacqueline with one of the police officers. "You know, I'm not too convinced she didn't just run away. I mean her fiancé hasn't been seen either."

"What do you mean?" the officer asked. Erik snuck closer to see what this girl had up her sleeve.

"Well I don't mean to accuse anyone of anything, but I saw them rather 'comfortable' together the other night, if you catch my meaning. Then they were talking about running away to Italy. I didn't think she'd actually go through with it."

He raised his eyebrow. Jacqueline's story didn't match up with anything. If Archer was in England, then how could he be going to Italy? And of course, Ella had refused to elope with him. Either Jacqueline was making up the story for attention, or she knew something no one else did, but he was going to find out which.

When she finally separated from the rest of the group, Erik made his move. He grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall, his forearm pressed against her throat. Her eyes tripled in size and she moved to scream, but he pushed on her neck to cut off her air supply. "What happened to Ella?" he hissed.

She clawed at his arm, unable to speak. Reluctantly he loosened the pressure enough for her to talk. "I…I don't know," she gasped. "She was just gone."

"Then why are you telling everyone that she ran away with that boy?"

"Because they were going to elope with him, they were going to get married."

Erik rolled his eyes. "Nice try, but she backed out, and he's in England. You're the one with the grudge against her. You're the one who sprained her ankle. You're the one making up the stories. Now don't make me ask again. What happened to Ella?"

"I don't know," Jacqueline wheezed. "Archer heard you in her dressing room and he got upset. He'd be the first place I'd check."

Erik threw her aside, completely furious. This girl was useless. "If I have to come back here, I swear to God, I'll kill you!"

* * *

"Madame Giry!" Jacqueline cried. She had decided that the lead wasn't worth losing her life over. She needed to come up with a story and fast. "Madame Giry you have to help me!"

"What is it?" the ballet mistress asked.

"The Phantom! He attacked me!"

She stared at Jacqueline in surprise. "_What?!_ What happened?"

"He thinks that I know where Ella is! He's obsessed with her just like Christine! Madame Giry, he might have kidnapped her and that he killed Monsieur Dubois!"

"Slow down," Madame Giry said. "Start from the beginning, tell me everything, and make sure it's the truth."

"Not long after she got here, I noticed Ella was sneaking around, just like Christine used to. I followed her the other day, and found out she was taking lessons from the Phantom. I got scared and thought she was in danger, so I told Monsieur Dubois, thinking he could help her. He said he would take her away to Italy in a few days. But now they're both missing! I think the Phantom killed him and took Ella captive!" For added effect she buried her face in her hands and began to sob. "And now the Phantom is threatening me because I know too much! He said he'd kill me!"

"Rule number one of committing a crime mademoiselle, is always keep your story straight." Jacqueline whirled around in horror, and saw him standing there. His eyes had flames of fury dancing in them, yet his voice was eerily calm.

"I…I…I…" she stammered when she saw the Punjab lasso in his hands. Madame Giry's eyes widened as he approached them, and she looked like she was going to speak, but the Phantom just dangled the noose in front of them.

"Where is Ella?" he demanded.

Jacqueline shook her head frantically. "I don't know! I swear!"

Suddenly, as fast as lightning, the rope was around her neck, tight enough to terrify her, but not enough to kill her. Yet. Madame Giry tried to grab his arm, but he shoved her aside. "She obviously doesn't know anything!" the ballet mistress shouted.

He ignored her. "Now, mademoiselle, if you are still here when I return, I assure you, you will not live to see another day. Am I clear?" Jacqueline nodded, too scared to speak. "I said, _am I clear?"_

"Crystal," she squeaked. He pulled the lasso from her neck and disappeared out the door.

She exchanged glances with the astonished ballet mistress. "I think you better hurry before he comes back," Madame Giry finally said.

* * *

As darkness fell, Erik pulled up the hood of his cloak and nudged his black horse, Cesar, forward through the streets of Paris. Several moments later, he was outside the café Antoinette told him about. La Figaro, a faded sign said. It was a quaint little place, and he knew many of the opera staff and patrons frequented the place, which is why it was odd that Ella disappeared from here.

"I'm sorry Monsieur but we're closed," a voice said when he walked in. A man who appeared to be the owner was cleaning a nearby table.

"I'm not interested in food," he replied. "Last night there were two girls here. Do you remember?"

"You're going to have to be more specific Monsieur."

"Dancers from the Populaire. A blonde and a redhead. About eighteen years old."

"Perhaps," the man replied. "But a lot of the staff from the Populaire come here. I can't be sure I know which girls you're talking about."

Erik growled in frustration. "It would have been just the two of them. They came in early, probably before the dinner rush started. When they finished the blonde would have left first and then the redhead."

In an attempt to extract some useful information, Erik laid a few francs on the table in front of him. "Yes, I believe I remember them. Only reason I even paid any attention to them is because my wife mentioned that one of them was supposedly the new Prima Donna. Couldn't tell you which at this point."

"Anything unusual or suspicious happen while they were here?"

The man thought for a moment. "Not that I can recall. Why? Are they in some kind of trouble?"

"One of them might be," Erik answered vaguely. "I'm attempting to piece together what happened last night."

"You a cop?"

He tossed a few more francs on the table. "I was never here," Erik answered before making his way to the door. So much for finding any clues here.

"Monsieur," the owner called. "You could try Pierre."

Erik abruptly turned back around. "And who might that be?"

"Little more than a thug. No one knows if Pierre is even his name, but he'll do anything for the right price. I saw him hanging around about the same time those girls were here, and he left right after the redhead."

His heart panged. If his angel was with that brute, then there would be hell to pay. Erik would tear him limb from limb for touching her. "How do I find this Pierre?"

"Ask the street urchins. Eventually you'll find one who knows where he is. He's not exactly quiet, and they always seem to know where he is. They're afraid to cross him you know."

"Merci," Erik said with a nod before disappearing into the dark to continue his search for Ella.

Hours later, he still hadn't found his target. Directions from a group of shady street rats had led Erik was in a rough neighborhood. Every sense was on overdrive so no one could sneak up on him. If this turned out to be nothing more than a wild goose chase, he was going to be very displeased.

A feminine scream pierced the night. Even though he could tell it wasn't Ella, Erik raced towards the source. A dingy man had a ragged woman pinned against the wall. "Leave me alone Pierre!" she cried.

Without thinking, Erik pulled him away from the girl, who instantly took off running. "So you're the famous Pierre," he growled, wrapping his hands around the thug's throat.

"Who are you?" the man demanded.

"Last night you were hanging around La Figaro café. That's awfully far away from here and much too classy for you. Why were you there?"

"It was a job, nothing more."

Erik's fingers tightened. "What job was that?"

"Nothing! It was a simple snatch and grab. Some pompous brat wanted a girl. Paid me five hundred francs, just to get some ballet girl at the Opera Populaire."

"Who did?" Erik pressed. "Who paid you?"

"His…his name was Dubois!"

Erik turned on his heel, leaving the body of what used to be Pierre behind. He swung up onto Cesar and urged him back to the Populaire. Archer wasn't in England, but if he was smart, then he wouldn't be in Paris either. He had to find out where that patron would take Ella. "Don't worry mon Ange," Erik murmured. "I won't stop searching until I find you."


	33. Chapter 33

Erik silently slipped through the window into Dubois' Parisian mansion. On his way back to the Populaire, it had struck him that perhaps instead of underestimating the boy he might actually be _overestimating_ him. He had assumed that Archer would have taken Ella and fled, but then he realized he wasn't thinking like a naïve aristocrat, he was thinking like the Phantom of the Opera. So here he was, continuing his search for Ella. Even if the boy wasn't here, there had to be something somewhere in this house that would tell him where the patron brought her.

As he searched the house, Erik became more and more convinced that Ella wasn't here. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching, so he ducked inside the nearest doorway. Looking around, Erik realized he was in what appeared to be a study. He immediately began combing through papers, looking for anything that could be helpful.

"I can't believe it!" Erik froze as a woman's voice rang out. "How many years have I worked for this family? I practically raised him then suddenly it's 'I'm sorry but that I'm running away to America with some girl I barely know'! And not just any girl, she's opera trash! I knew it would be a mistake to get mixed up with that theater. If only his parents knew! I have half a mind to wire his father myself! That'll set that foolish boy straight. How am I supposed to tell my daughter that I've suddenly been dismissed because he's a lovesick idiot who's listening to his trousers and not his head?!"

The door swung open and a very ruffled grandmotherly woman walked into the room. Her eyes widened in fear when she spotted Erik. "Who are you and what are you doing here? How did you get in here?"

He pressed a finger to his lips to keep her silent. "The girl. Where is she?" he asked. "Where did he take her?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea what girl you're talking about," she lied.

Threatening her wasn't even an option to Erik. She was frail and looked like she couldn't harm a fly. But he needed to find Ella, and based on her rant, this woman knew where they were, or at least where they were going. Antoinette's words from their very first argument about Ella drifted back to him. _'So now you're trying to use compassion?' he asked. 'I'm trying to get you to use your heart like a decent person,' she replied._

"Listen to me," he said. "Her name is Ella. She didn't want to leave with Archer, so he hired a street thug to kidnap her. She has friends who are frantically looking for her." The woman's face softened a bit, giving Erik enough encouragement to keep going this route. "I heard you say you had a daughter. How would you feel if she suddenly disappeared and you later found out someone carted her off to another country? Because that's what's going to happen to her friends if you don't help me.

The woman shook her head. "I can't. If he were to find out…"

"He'll never know it was you who told me, but I need to know where she is. Help me," Erik pleaded. "Help me find her."

* * *

"What do you think love?" Archer asked. He was leading Ella through the gardens of his estate, his arm loosely wrapped around her waist. "When we get to America, would you like to live on the coast or farther inland?"

Ella refused to answer him. In as desperate attempt to show him that this wasn't what she wanted, she wouldn't to speak to him other than to plead with him to see reason. "Archer, I want to go home."

His hold on her tightened briefly in what was supposed to be a comforting hug, but it just reinforced the fact that Ella was completely at his mercy. "Don't worry, it's nearly over. We're leaving at first light."

"Please listen to me Archer!" Ella begged. "I don't want to go to America! I just want to go home! Don't make me go with you! Let me go home!" She began to cry. "Please take me back."

"Maybe bringing you out here was a bad idea," Archer sighed. "You're just getting all worked up. We need to go back inside."

"No!" Ella cried. "I'll behave!" This was the first time Archer had allowed her outside. When he let her out of that room, she was always trapped at his side. Out here it was a little easier to believe she was here of her own choice."

"You're not a dog," Archer said. "And I don't expect you to act like one. I'm not going to make you do tricks on command."

"No, I'm just a prisoner who has to do what you say," she spat bitterly.

He led her back towards the house. "You're not a prisoner, you're my guest. I'm keeping you here for your own protection love, even if you can't see it."

Ella glanced back desperately towards the forest that surrounded the estate. If she could get there, she stood a chance of being able to escape. She murmured a soft apology before kicking him as hard as she could between the legs and taking off running as fast as her legs could carry her. Behind her she could hear Archer swearing, but she didn't look back. Just as she reached the edge of the garden, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist and she was lifted off her feet. "No! Let me go!" Ella was carried back to the house kicking and screaming. "No! It's not fair! Let me go!"

"I can't Ella." His tone was apologetic, but he wouldn't put her down, so she continued to thrash in his grasp. "Please understand."

After refusing to sleep the night before, Ella was exhausted. The stress from everything caught up to her at last and she finally cracked. With a sudden surge of unusual rage, Ella began to scream at him viciously as they made their way through the house. "I hate you! Why don't you just kill me instead of torturing me like this?!"

Archer gently put her on her feet once they were back in room that served as her prison cell. She tried to push past him, but he caught her in his arms once more. He hid her face in his chest and rubbed her back as she sobbed. "I know love," he cooed. "I know."

* * *

Ella looked like a very sad porcelain doll. Her face was blank and expressionless, her red-rimmed eyes glassy, staring at something only she could see. She sat in her chair perfectly straight and dignified. It was the complete opposite of the breakdown she had earlier. But the completely untouched plate in front of her worried him. "You have got to eat love," Archer urged. "You haven't eaten anything since you've arrived."

"I'm not hungry," she replied. Her usually angelic voice was hoarse and distant.

"Please Ella. Just a few bites," he pleaded. "You need to eat. You cannot starve yourself like this. You're so thin as it is."

"No."

Looking closer, Archer could see dark circles under her eyes that he didn't notice before. "Did you sleep last night?"

"No."

"Did you even try?"

"No."

For the first time, Archer began to wonder if this was really going to be worth it. Would he ever be able to free the girl he loved from the grasp of the Phantom? Or would she be this cold and withdrawn forever? Was she acting like this because of the spell she was under? And if she wasn't eating or sleeping now, how long would it be before she attempted something far more drastic? Could he live with himself if something happened to her?

* * *

"You need to get some sleep," Archer said as he led her inside the bedroom. "We have a big day tomorrow. We're leaving at sunrise."

Once he was gone, Ella stared out the window, wondering if by some miracle, Erik would save her. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized that she never told him how she felt. Even though she knew he would never hear her, she sang a quiet song to him.

"_If I never knew you  
If I never felt this love  
I would have no inkling of  
How precious life can be  
And if I never held you  
I would never have a clue  
How at last I'd find in you  
The missing part of me.  
In this world so full of fear  
Full of rage and lies  
I can see the truth so clear  
In your eyes  
And I'm so grateful to you  
I'd have lived my whole life through  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you  
If I never knew you  
I'd be safe but half as real  
Never knowing I could feel  
A love so strong and true  
I'm so grateful to you  
I'd have lived my whole life through  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you  
I thought our love would be so beautiful  
Somehow we'd make the whole world bright  
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong  
all they'd leave us were these whispers in the night  
But still my heart is saying we were right  
And if I never knew you  
If I never knew you  
I'd have lived my whole life through  
Empty as the sky  
Never knowing why  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you"_

"I'm sorry Erik," she whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Ella sat heavily on the bed and attempted to imagine life married to Archer, knowing that the first thing he would do when they reached America would be to find a church. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't bear the thought of spending the rest of her life with him. Of course Archer would expect children, but she shuddered at what that would mean. For now, he had respected most of her boundaries, but there was no telling how long that would last.

Trying to erase that thought from her mind, Ella ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes widened when she found a pin that the maid must have missed. She had heard that people could undo locks with hairpins. Instantly she ran to the door and stuck the pin in. Ella had no clue what she was doing, but she had to get out of here.

After nearly an hour of fiddling with the lock and the pin, she heard a soft click. Holding her breath, Ella gently tried the knob. A smile of triumph crept across her face as the door silently swung open.


	34. Chapter 34

Ella quickly slipped on the sturdiest shoes she could find, which unfortunately were little more than slippers. They weren't even remotely practical for winter weather, but it was the best she had. She put on the only cloak in the wardrobe before creeping out the door.

As silently as she could, Ella made her way down the hall. If she ran into a servant or woke anyone up, then her escape would be ruined and she would be locked away again. She wondered how Erik could be this sneaky all the time. She had only been doing this two minutes and she felt like she was on the verge of having a panic attack at the thought of being discovered.

She somehow managed to reach the door of the manor without incident. Carefully she opened it and slid outside. Just as Ella let out a breath of relief, the door began to creak and closed much more loudly than she would have liked, but the house remained still.

The moment the door was shut, she took off running for the forest. Ella wanted to put as much distance between her and this house before anyone woke up. As she reached the tree line and the shelter of the forest, Ella looked back. Her eyes widened as she saw lights appearing in the windows. She gasped when she realized that she left the door to the bedroom open. Obviously she had been discovered.

Her instincts took over then. Ella whirled back around and began running as though her life depended on it, and in a way, it did. If she was caught, it would be over and she would spend the rest of her life as Archer's prisoner.

* * *

Archer awoke to what sounded like a door closing. He sat up, stretched, and lazily wandered over to the window, wondering what time it was. His eyes widened when he saw a figure dart out the garden gate. It almost looked like…but it couldn't be…she was… she was supposed to be… He ran to Ella's room and saw the door wide open. "No!" he cried, before beginning to shout for his servants.

Ten minutes later, Archer was dressed and on his horse, frantically giving orders. "You three, go north! You two, go south! I'll go with you two and we'll search this way," he shouted, pointing in the direction that Ella had gone. "Hurry! We have to find her before she freezes!" The days might be beginning to feel like spring, but the nights were still bitterly cold.

He spurred his horse forward, heading into the forest that surrounded his estate. It was good for hunting animals, but it was going to be a challenge now that he was hunting for his fiancée. "Ella?" he called. "Ella where are you?"

* * *

Erik urged Cesar to go faster. He knew he was pushing the horse to his limits, but they had to get there in time. Archer was dragging Ella to America at sunrise, and based on the slowly lightening sky, there was only a few hours at most until dawn.

Reluctantly he stopped at a small forest stream to let Cesar catch his breath and drink. Erik paced frantically as Cesar's labored breathing began to slow back to normal. How was Ella? Was she okay? Had Archer hurt her? If he had, he would suffer the full wrath of the Phantom of the Opera, Erik thought, his hands clenching into fists.

He hadn't seen anything for miles, so he had no clue how close he was to Dubois' estate. If he was honest with himself, he knew that there was a chance that the directions he was following were wrong. After all, the woman who had told him where to go _did _work for the boy. But he had nothing else to go on. For now, Erik was just going to have to pray that he this was the right way and that he wasn't too late.

Once Cesar had recovered, Erik scratched him behind his ears. He didn't like doing this to the poor horse, but he had to reach Ella before Archer took her away. "We're nearly there," Erik murmured. "We have to be."

* * *

Ella's feet pounded against the ground as she ran. She paused for a few moments, gasping for air. The cold night air finally began to register, so she tried wrapping the cloak tighter around herself. Unfortunately, the wardrobe Archer had supplied for her was the newest fashion, which meant this outfit was made for balls and carriage rides, not for running through the woods. Her dress did nothing besides hinder her progress, and the cloak did very little to ease the cold, so within moments she was shivering.

Looking around, Ella realized she had no clue where she was, or even if she was going in the right direction. She had been so focused on running away, that she hadn't paid attention to where she was running away to. Not that it really mattered, seeing as she didn't know where the estate was anyway. Hopefully sooner or later, she could find a town, or a house, or something that could help her return to Paris.

A howl pierced the night. With a gasp of horror, she remembered Archer saying something about having a pair of bloodhounds that he used when he went hunting. And now he was hunting her. If he was using dogs to search for her, her chances of getting away were quickly vanishing. Ella took off at a full sprint, determined to try and make it.

Suddenly there was a massive black horse in front of her. Ella cried out in surprise and tripped in her efforts to stop. As she crashed to the ground, the horse reared up, and Ella half-hoped it would step on her. She wasn't that lucky, and a moment later, she heard the thud of the rider's boots hitting the forest floor. He walked over to her, and Ella was lifted up by a strong pair of arms.

It was over. They had found her. Ella was too exhausted to continue this fight. The stress was just too much for her to take any longer. Between the lack of food and sleep, she was too weak to even keep her eyes open anymore. "I'm sorry Erik," she whispered.

Much to her surprise, she actually heard his voice in the back of her mind. "Stay with me mon Ange. You're a fighter."

"I…I can't."

"Just hang on and I'll have you back in Paris before you know it."

As Ella drifted into the darkness, she had to tell Erik one more thing, even if he wasn't really here to hear it. "Erik, I love you."

* * *

His breath caught as he heard those words. She was obviously delirious, but still…she said them. He couldn't believe that she said them. He pulled her trembling frame against him so she could absorb some of his body heat after he had mounted his horse again. As Erik nudged Cesar back towards Paris, he could feel a smile creep across his features. He placed a quick kiss on her temple. "I love you too mon Ange."

* * *

_Well, he FINALLY answered the question. It took a while didn't it? *waves hand* Nah...Only fifteen chapters! And is Archer going to give up? OF COURSE NOT! Although honestly, you guys are really vicious towards the dude. I was thinking you would be like "awww his heart's in the right place even if he is a bit stupid". Nope, you guys seem to want me to burn him at the stake or something. Unfortunately that's a little medieval for my taste so it isn't going to happen. Or is it? Read and Review!_

_~nibblesfan_

_P.S. And yes I seem to be updating almost every day, but I can't guarantee how long it'll last. But for now the writing gods have been kind, so enjoy it while it lasts!_


	35. Chapter 35

Erik kept hold on the reigns with one hand, his other arm wrapped tightly around Ella, cradling her securely against him as they began their trek back to Paris. She nestled even closer, still trying to warm herself even though she was unconscious. He wanted nothing more than to get her out of the cold, but they needed to get away from Archer's estate quickly.

His head snapped around as he heard dogs barking, and it sounded like they were growing nearer and nearer. Rephrase that last thought. They needed to get away _now_. Erik spurred Cesar into a full gallop and they took off flying through the forest.

When they reached the stream from before, Erik reluctantly had Cesar enter the water and travel downstream. They needed to lose Archer and his dogs, even though it meant getting wet. After a while, the water trickled down to nothing. He only hoped they had spent enough time for their scent to wash away. Another bark made him realize that he wasn't going to be that lucky.

He swore before adjusting his grip on Ella and tried to come up with a new plan. Even though he was on horseback, Cesar was tired, and the dogs would be able to follow them until the horse collapsed if Erik couldn't think on his feet. From what he knew about tracking dogs, it wasn't the dogs that made mistakes, it was their owners. If he could trick the people, then the hounds wouldn't be an issue.

Quickly, Erik had Cesar leave the forest and go towards the road. When he had come this way earlier, he seeing remembered a fork. One way would lead to Paris, the other back to the Dubois manor. He went a few hundred yards on the road to Paris before doubling back and going the other way. After going down a ways down towards the manor, he led Cesar to the tree line and stopped to let the horse rest. Hopefully this would work.

They didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes had passed when he heard the shouts of Archer and his men. He heard them and the dogs grow quieter as they followed the false trail. Cries of confusion and frustration soon made their way to his ears. Praying they fell for it, Erik pulled Ella against him, hiding her face in his jacket. "The dogs are probably confused. This road is so well traveled that there's probably a hundred different smells," Erik could hear Archer say. "We know she's going towards Paris. Come, she shouldn't be too much further."

As the sound of their voices and the dogs died down to nothing, Erik let out a sigh of relief. They believed that Ella was running the other way. Well they were sorely mistaken. Now he could focus on getting his angel warm.

Keeping Cesar at an easy trot, Erik began the trip back to Paris, his guard up. If Archer decided to turn around, then he could still be caught. After a while, he spotted a barn. If they could just hide there for an hour or two, it would be a nice break for Cesar and he could tend to Ella.

Growing closer, Erik realized the barn appeared to be abandoned. Even better. Looking inside, he could see holes in the roof and grass starting to grow inside. Obviously no one had been in here for years. But it still had four walls and about half of a roof. Yes, this would do perfectly for all three of them; no one would look here.

He lifted Ella from Cesar's back and gently placed her on the ground. Erik pulled his cloak off and wrapped her securely in it, before taking off his jacket as well, using it as a pillow for her. Now that he was in just his shirt, it began to sink in just how cold it was. As Cesar began to graze on the wild grass, Erik cleared a small nearby area, gathered some fallen wood, and began to build a fire. There were two things he learned from being the Phantom: always have the Punjab at his hip and a book of matches in his pocket. You never knew when you needed to light candles or a torch, or in this case, light a fire to keep Ella and himself from freezing.

A few minutes later, he had a small fire going. Erik crouched next to Ella, his fingertips lightly brushing her cheek as she slowly began to quit shivering. He wondered how long it would take her to wake up. There were so many unanswered questions that he had. What had Archer done to her? Why was she in the woods in the middle of the night? Had she escaped? How?

"E…Er…Erik," she muttered, stirring slightly at his touch.

"I'm here mon Ange," he replied softly. "I'm here."

"He's going to take me away!" she cried. "Stop him Erik!"

"I have Ella. You're back under my protection. He can't do anything to you again. You're safe from him now."

Apparently he said the wrong thing. "No!" She began to thrash in her sleep. "I don't want to go to America! Take me home Archer! I'll do whatever you want! Please! I want to go home!" she sobbed.

"Ella it's me," he told her, trying to get her to relax. "I'm taking you back to Paris. We're going home."

She nodded. "Good, it's about time you realized I love the Phantom." Ella began drifting back into a deeper sleep. "I love my Phantom and there's nothing you can do to change that Archer," she murmured, before growing still again.

Erik kissed her temple before rising to tend to Cesar. The horse snorted and gave him the horse equivalent of a dirty look then resumed grazing. He chuckled before stroking the horse's neck. "I never would have found her without you," Erik said with a smile. "I knew you were a great horse."

* * *

"Where could she be?" Archer thought desperately, looking up to the midmorning sun. Ella's scent had vanished nearly two hours ago, rendering the bloodhounds useless, and they hadn't been able to find a sign of her since. She could have gotten lost in the woods, or someone could have taken her, or worse.

"Monsieur, let's face it, we're not going to find her," one of his men said.

"We have to find her!" he cried. "I refuse to stop looking until I have her back in my arms. She's in danger! There is a maniac after her and only I can save her!"

"Well now you've lost her."

"I know that!" Archer snapped in frustration. "Maybe she found some way to get to Paris faster. A ride from someone or something. We'll look there, and notify the police. They can help us find her."

"But Monsieur, Paris is a several hours ride still!" another man protested. "We've been out half the night. We all need rest, you included sir."

"Not until I find Ella!" he shouted. "Now let's get a moving! Paris is still a long way off. Come on!" A groan rose up from his men as they continued their search for a girl who was hidden several miles behind them.

* * *

Erik watched the sun sink over the horizon. They had spent the day in the barn, waiting for nightfall and the cover of darkness to continue their journey. Ella had been drifting in and out of consciousness all day, but she never quite woke up. For a while, he had been wondering if Archer had drugged her, but if he had, it would have worn off by now. The poor girl probably just hadn't slept since he took her.

His stomach growled, and it dawned on Erik that he hadn't eaten since before he found out Ella was missing. She would probably be starving as well when she woke. But they'd eat once they were safely back under the opera house.

He carefully put his jacket back on, before he gently touched Ella's cheek. Her eyes half opened, but he could tell she wasn't really awake. "We're leaving now mon Ange." She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he enveloped her in his cloak and carefully picked her up.

"Are we going to the opera now?"

"Yes Ella. We're going home."


	36. Chapter 36

Erik sank into his chair with a sigh of relief. This was the fourth day since Archer had originally taken Ella and the fifth since he had slept, seeing as he spent the night before everything happened composing. After spending most of the night getting back to Paris, he had left a note for Antoinette telling her they were safe, and given Cesar a pile of hay and a long rubdown as a reward for all his hard work. All that had taken a good hour. It felt good to finally rest.

Getting home had been a little more difficult than he had expected. There was a heavy police presence around the opera. At least they were attempting to search for Ella although they didn't wind up doing anything useful. He had to time it perfectly to get into the stable without being caught. From there, it was easy. A faux wall opened up to the passageway that led to where he housed Cesar. Then he just had to carry Ella the rest of the way to the lair.

Ella was in the swan bed, still asleep. Erik made a mental note to have Antoinette fetch a doctor if she didn't awaken soon. This wasn't natural. People didn't sleep for this long. She didn't have a fever or any noticeable symptoms of being sick, but it had been far too long for it to be a drug.

He let out a loud yawn. Speaking of sleep, he was ready to drop. Erik put his head down on his desk. Just a few minutes rest, then he'd go upstairs and have Antoinette get a doctor for Ella. She probably needed that more than he needed to sleep. But first he needed to rest, just for a minute.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Archer shouted at the police officer. "She was coming here! I know she was! People don't just disappear Monsieur!"

"Well first we have the opera calling us because this girl has gone missing, and now you're telling me that she originally ran off with you, but disappeared from your mansion. I don't know what to believe!"

"There is a madman after her!" Archer snapped. "We left for her protection, but she went missing in the middle of the night, her bedroom broken into. She's in danger!"

"Other than your story of her being kidnapped out of your house, you have given us nothing to work with Monsieur. I can't help you without any clues whatsoever. Besides, you said she was taken nearly half a day's journey away. We're in Paris. You should be looking for her closer to the sight of this supposed abduction."

Archer sighed. This was getting extremely frustrating. If you wanted something done right, do it yourself, that's what he had been taught. Unfortunately he had blundered and was now forced to rely on these men for help. "The man who's been trying to take her is the Phantom of the Opera! The Phantom is a wanted murderer who lives underneath the Opera Populaire, which is in _Paris_. She is the Prima Donna here is _Paris_. Her home is in _Paris. _That is why I'm here looking for her."

"So you're suggesting that the Phantom of the Opera, who has never been caught because he lives in a labyrinth and has never been seen in daylight, suddenly decided to trek across France, break into your mansion, kidnap a girl, and get back to Paris with the girl, all without being caught?" the officer asked skeptically. "He wears a white porcelain mask, and half his face is twisted and deformed like a demon. I was there the night of the fire; I've seen him with my own two eyes. His is a face, mask on or no, that cannot go unnoticed."

"He's a murderer who has escaped capture for over a year. He has kidnapped and killed before!" Archer protested. "Every second we aren't searching for Ella, there is a greater chance he's forced himself on her or killed her! I have to find her!"

"We're doing everything we can, but until we find something useful, there isn't much we _can _do," the officer replied. "You're just going to have to be patient."

* * *

Ella began to panic when she awoke in total darkness. She couldn't remember much. Closing her eyes, she thought back. The hair pin, escaping the mansion, running through the woods; her breath caught when she remembered the rider. Archer caught her, and God knows where he had her locked up now.

Cautiously she reached out, and to her surprise, her fingers touched a curtain. Ella swept it open and gasped in surprise when she realized she knew this place. She had heard Erik's voice in her sleep, but she had just assumed it was dream. Yet somehow, she was in his home. But where was he? Where was her Phantom?

Ella carefully stood, her legs weak and unsteady beneath her. She had only taken a few steps when she spotted Erik hunched over his desk, fast asleep. It was the first time she had ever seen him completely at peace.

The unmasked half of his face was resting against his arms, his mask facing up towards her. It didn't even look remotely comfortable. Ella decided that she would take it off. It would be more comfortable for Erik, and it would help her adjust to his face. She couldn't grow used to it if he kept it hidden from her.

Before her fingers had even touched the porcelain, Erik's eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist. His eyes widened and he quickly released her, an extremely apologetic look on his face, even though she could tell it was nothing more than an instinct for him. Ella didn't give him the chance to say anything, just threw her arms tightly around his neck, and pressed her face in his shoulder. Erik embraced her, pulling her against his chest.

"Erik, oh Erik, I thought you'd never come!" she cried. "I was so scared that Archer was going to take me away. He wanted to go to America, and he was going to make me go with him! I didn't want to go but he wouldn't listen to me!"

"It's over now mon Ange," Erik replied soothingly. "I'll never let you out of my sight again. I promised you that I'd protect you."

"There was a man!" she sobbed. "He grabbed me, he drugged me, and Archer was paying him to do it. I tried to fight him, but I couldn't get away."

"He _what_?! I'm going to kill that boy!" he screamed. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No. Archer thought, he honest to God thought that he was helping me. He kept saying he was saving me, that it was for my own good." Her hug tightened. "He knows…he knows about us. I don't know how, but he knows."

"Jacqueline somehow found out. She told him because she knew he'd do this. She wanted your role as the lead, so she attempted to sabotage you. I had her sent away so she can never hurt you again."

"But what about Archer?"

"We'll think of something," Erik replied. "But for now, I won't let him near you. I'll be there to stop him if he tries anything."

Ella nodded. "Don't leave me."

"Of course not." Erik kissed her forehead. Then he realized that Ella had been half-conscious when he had admitted his feelings for her. He hoped the fact that she was awake didn't change anything. "Ella, mon Ange, I love you."

Tears formed in her eyes, and for a moment Erik wondered if he said the wrong thing. Instead, she looked up, a smile forming on her face. "I love you too, my Phantom."

Erik suddenly found himself laughing in joy. He pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. After years of searching, he had finally found someone who could look beyond the mask and accept and love him as a person, not a monster. And Erik was willing to do anything and everything to keep her safe.


	37. Chapter 37

Erik and Ella held each other in silence, just letting everything sink in. She couldn't believe that he actually loved her. Her fears seemed far away and insignificant when his arms were around her in a secure embrace. After a while, Ella broke the quiet with an attempt at humor. "Maybe I should quit going to sleep. Every time I do, I wake up in a different place with a different man, and I like being right here with you."

Suddenly her stomach growled loudly, ruining the moment. They stared at each other for a moment, before Erik chuckled. "Well I suppose we should take care of that. We don't want you starving."

"It's a little too late for that," she replied, without thinking of the consequences of her words.

His face darkened instantly. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't eaten anything since Archer kidnapped me," she admitted.

"_He starved you?!_" Erik roared. "That is it! I am going to kill him!"

"No, he didn't starve me," she responded quickly, hoping she could calm him down before he completely lost his temper. "I chose not to eat. I partially did it so Archer would realize that I didn't want to be there. I thought if I didn't eat, he'd eventually have to bring me back or I'd starve, and I knew he wouldn't let that happen."

"If that was only part of the reason, dare I ask why else you refused to eat?" he asked through clenched teeth. His hands were balled into fists, and he was shaking with rage, even though Ella could tell he was trying to control himself for her. It proved that he was changing into a better man.

"I…I was afraid," Ella whispered. "He had me drugged when he kidnapped me. I thought that maybe…just maybe there was some more in the food. I didn't want to risk it happening again. I wouldn't sleep either. I was scared of what would happen, where he'd take me, if I closed my eyes at all."

Erik growled. "After everything you've been put through, Archer scaring you to the point of starvation was the last thing you needed. So the last time you ate was four days ago?" She nodded. Erik scooped her up and placed her back into the bed. "Stay here and rest. I'll go fetch you something."

A few minutes later he returned with a cup of tea and small plate of fruit, cheese, and bread. "What's this?" Ella asked as he handed them to her.

"I'm about to start breakfast for you, but I'll need some time to make it. This is so that you don't have to wait any longer. Besides if you eat too much or too fast, you will get sick."

"You're making breakfast?" Ella repeated. "You cook?"

"Despite the rumors, I am fully human. That means I have to eat too," he replied, the corners of his lips turning upwards into a hint of a smirk. "I'm not a gourmet chef by any means, but I'd like to think I'm decent in the kitchen."

"You do everything!" she exclaimed with a smile.

He caressed her face gently. "Eat. I'll be back in a few minutes with something more substantial for you." Erik disappeared with a swish of his cape, leaving Ella alone again.

* * *

A knife in Erik's hand probably wasn't the best idea. He had reigned in his rage in front of Ella, but now that he was alone in the kitchen, he was absolutely livid. Trying to keep himself from going on a homicidal rampage, Erik was viciously cutting vegetables. No one could ever accuse him of more murder if he was only stabbing food. He grabbed an egg and smashed it against the side of the bowl, getting it everywhere but actually in the bowl. Erik swore before grabbing a towel to clean up the mess.

How could that stupid boy do that to her? Ella had done nothing to him! _Nothing_! Not only did Archer kidnap her, but he terrified her to the point of starvation! If he weren't trying so hard to be worthy of Ella's love, Erik would have hunted that boy down and ripped him apart limb from limb with his bare hands.

Erik finished making Ella's breakfast and was back at her side within moments. Her face lit up when she saw him approach. He sat at the edge of the bed and presented the plate. "I hope you like eggs," he said.

"You made me an omelet?" she asked excitedly. Suddenly it vanished, and her brow furrowed. "Erik, what's wrong? You're still upset about Archer aren't you?" Ella took his hand and squeezed it gently. "There's nothing you could have done to stop him. "

"But I could have. If I had been paying better attention, I would have known that Jacqueline was following you sooner. And if I knew that, I could have prevented her from telling Archer, or I could have kept a closer eye on you. We developed a pattern, and I knew better! That's how you get caught!" Erik shouted. "It's exactly what happened with Christine! I got too comfortable and let my guard down!"

"You fell in love!" Ella cried. "There's nothing wrong with that!"

"There is if it means you get hurt!" Erik's voice tremored with emotion. "Ella, I can't lose you! Every time I love something, it gets taken from me! I refuse to let someone steal you from me!"

She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Before Erik could protest, she pulled the porcelain mask from his face. Ella gently began to kiss the marred side of his face, eventually working her way back to his lips. He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her closer. "I'm not going anywhere," Ella whispered when they broke apart. "You don't have to worry about anyone taking me from you."

"Oh mon Ange," he breathed. He suddenly pulled away and pushed the plate in her hands. Ella looked up at him with questioning eyes, silently inquiring about the abrupt change in behavior. "You need to eat. I won't have you starving now that you're free."

Ella obediently began to eat. "Erik, this is amazing! How did you learn to cook like this?"

"A lot of bad mistakes," he replied with a smile.

Once Ella was finished, she took a deep breath, like she was going to ask him something. "Erik, are we going to go back upstairs?"

He hadn't been expecting that question, at least not so soon. She had been awake maybe two hours, and she already wanted to leave? Erik shrugged, trying to hide his hurt feelings. "Did you want to go upstairs?"

"Meg is probably worried sick. If there's any way I can tell her that I'm alright…"

"I left Antoinette a note. She knows you're safe, so she can tell Meg," he replied, secretly relieved that it wasn't him.

She nodded. "I know, but I'd feel better if I could tell her in person." The sound of footsteps reached Erik's ears. He turned around and saw a shadow coming around the corner. Erik pushed Ella behind him, instinctively reaching for his lasso. "Erik?" Ella whispered.


	38. Chapter 38

"Erik?" Ella whimpered her hand on his shoulder. "Wer…were you…are you expecting anyone?"

He took a step back, pushing her away from the door. In his hands, she saw a Punjab lasso. "No, I'm not," Erik growled. "It may just be Antoinette, but I don't want to take any chances."

A second shadow appeared. "Erik, that's not just Madame Giry." Ella was terrified of whoever it was. If Archer had come with backup, then they were in for a fight. She didn't want Erik to have to get violent, but Archer would take her again if he didn't. Unless… "Is there another way out of here? A way we can run?"

"Yes," Erik replied with a nod. "But if I don't stop him, you'll be in danger from him forever."

She clung to his free arm. "Erik, if he hurts you, I don't think I could live with my…" Ella's voice trailed off as she saw who was there. "Meg!" she shouted, running to a wide-eyed ballerina who was being led by her mother.

"Ella!" Meg threw her arms around her. "Oh thank goodness you're alright!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Has he hurt you?"

"No!" she replied. She looked over and saw Madame Giry and Erik a ways away, deep in conversation themselves, no doubt about Archer.

"Have you been here the whole time?"

She shook her head. "No, maybe a few hours at most...I think."

"You _think_?! Ella, what's going on?" Meg seemed hysterical. "You disappeared four days ago without a trace! The opera house is in chaos. We've had to cancel shows because you were gone and Jacqueline, your understudy, packed up and left the next day without a single explanation! Then my mother comes into my room and brings me down here without telling me where we're going or why, and you've been with the Phantom! He's hypnotized you or something. It hasn't been just a few hours, it's been days Ella!"

"If someone tells me I've been hypnotized or put under a spell one more time, I'm going to scream!" Ella cried. "Meg, he hasn't hurt me, he hasn't hypnotized me; he saved me! Archer kidnapped me!"

"He _what?!"_

"Archer hired a thug to kidnap me. He took me to his estate outside of Paris and kept me locked up there until I managed to escape."

Meg stared at her, her mouth hanging open. "Oh my God, are you alright?" she demanded.

Ella nodded. "I'm fine. Erik helped me. He came after me, found me, and brought me back home. Archer was planning on taking me to America, and probably would have if it weren't for Erik."

"Erik? Who's Eri-?" Meg's eyes tripled in size, and she looked like she was going to faint. "Oh...my…God…you're on a first name basis with the _Phantom of the Opera_?!"

"Well actually…" Ella started, shifting from foot to foot. "It's, um, more than that…"

"There's _more_?!" Meg shrieked. "I don't know how much more I can take."

She looked over and saw Erik glance at her as he continued talking with Madame Giry. "I, um, I, well…" Ella took a deep breath. "I'vebeentakinglessonsfromhimev ersinceIarrivedandnowI'minlovewithhim."

Meg stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. "Come again?"

"When I arrived, he heard me singing. He started giving me lessons, coaching me to get over my stage fright," Ella confessed. "And…I fell in love."

Her friend's hands flew to her mouth. "Ella, are you serious?" She nodded. "And you were seeing Archer the whole entire time this was going on?"

"Maybe," she admitted. "That's why I kept trying to break it off with him."

"Oh my God, you're in love with the Phantom!" Meg cried. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I kept pushing you towards Archer. I should have just let it go when you said you weren't interested."

Ella shook her head. "It's not your fault, you didn't know."

"But you really love him?"

"Yes Meg, with all my heart."

"Even after everything he's…?"

"He just needed someone who could love him for who he was, not to judge him because of his mask. Meg, Erik's been so kind to me. He's nothing like the man everyone thinks he is."

Erik and Madame Giry seemed to end their discussion, as they soon made their way back to the two girls. Meg still seemed uneasy around the Phantom, and was more than happy to keep behind Ella and her mother. "Ella," Madame Giry started. "We were wondering if you could tell us what exactly happened. After all, we know what happened before he took you, and after Erik found you, but you're the only one who knows what went on while you were with Archer."

Ella recanted the entire story, starting with leaving the café. She told them everything, the man in the alley, Archer's plans to go to America, her attempt to escape, getting out with the hairpin, the rider. "But then I blacked out. I don't remember anything after he found me again."

"Archer never caught you," Erik said once she finished.

"But the last thing I remember was a big black horse."

"You certainly shocked me," he replied with a smile. "I was on my way to rescue you, and all of a sudden there you were. You screamed, and then you were on the ground, and you weren't moving. I was afraid you had been kicked when Cesar reared up. You startled him as well."

"Cesar?" she questioned.

"My stallion," he explained. "I forgot that you haven't been properly introduced."

"A stallion?!" Meg squeaked. "Of course he has a stallion. My friend has been seeing the Phantom, who just so happens to own a horse even though he lives underground. Makes sense."

"So what happens now?" Ella asked.

"Well that, my dear, is up to you," Madame Giry answered. "You can choose to return upstairs and take your place as Prima Donna, you can remain here if Erik doesn't object, or you can do something else entirely."

"I do want to be able to go upstairs to sing and dance again, but what if Archer comes here? He'll come looking for me sooner or later."

"Actually," Meg piped up, "he's already here. He arrived yesterday afternoon, bringing most of the police force with him."

"That's just fantastic," Erik groaned.

"And that's not everything," Meg whispered, afraid to be talking directly to the Phantom. "He said if they couldn't find Ella by noon, he was going to have them come down here, to take Ella back and kill you."

"No!" Ella cried. "Erik, I have to go upstairs now! I can't bear the thought of him trying to hurt you. I can't let him find you."

"But if you go upstairs, he'll try to take you again," Erik protested. "I'm the Phantom of the Opera. They tried to find me before and they couldn't, what makes you think they could do it this time?"

"What if you both went upstairs? That way Ella, Archer couldn't take you, but you're not in danger for staying down here," Meg suggested.

"That might work," Madame Giry agreed. "Erik, what do you think?"

"I don't want to risk you again Ella," he said. "We can hide from them. No one knows the opera like I do. I can keep you safe."

"Erik, you can't know that. Things happen," Ella argued. "I won't let you get hurt because of me. I'm going back, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I can't keep running forever. Maybe I can make him see reason."

He sighed in defeat before giving a nod. "Fine, let's go. But if you think I'm letting you go without me, then you're wrong. If Archer tries anything, I'll be there to stop him."


	39. Chapter 39

Ella looked to Erik, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it, time to face Archer again. Erik took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right here. Just say the word, and I'll come."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ella asked. "That would make it obvious that you love me. I thought we wanted to keep us as quiet as possible."

"Well the Phantom isn't known for his subtlety," Meg said. The second she said it, she clamped her hands over her mouth and looked to Erik in fear. She was still really jumpy around Erik, but Ella couldn't blame her; she had been when she had first met him too.

Erik just chuckled. "That is very true Miss Giry." Meg looked relieved that she had amused him instead of angering him. He turned back to Ella. "Are you ready mon Ange?"

She reached up and caressed his good cheek. "I have to be."

"I'm not going to force you to face him," Erik reminded her. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do," Ella replied softly. "Erik, I have to put a stop to all the madness. I have to convince Archer that he's hurting me, not helping me. The problem isn't that he's purposely trying to cause me pain; the problem is that he honestly thinks he's saving me, so he doesn't want to give up. If I don't, he won't stop until you're dead! Erik I can't let that happen! "

"Mon Ange, I'm not that easy to kill. It doesn't usually work out well for the other party." He glanced over to Meg. "Isn't that right Miss Giry?"

"He does have a point," Meg admitted. "No one has ever come close. In fact, it usually works out in his favor, not the other person's."

"I don't care!" Ella cried. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life hiding from Archer!" She paused for a moment. "Besides, didn't you say the police are here?"

Madame Giry nodded. "Yes they are. Why?"

"Maybe they can help. I mean Archer kidnapped me! They have to do _something_ about that!"

"Ella, Archer has a lot of money. Money means influence," Madame Giry replied. "I doubt there's little to nothing that they're willing or able to do."

"Well I have to try," she insisted. She gently let go of Erik's hand. "Promise me you'll stay close?"

He nodded then placed a kiss on her forehead. "I won't let you out of my sight."

* * *

Archer was about to lead the police to the staircase that would take them to the Phantom's lair, when the door opened. Madame Giry had an arm around the shoulders of a pale redhead, Meg walking alongside the pair. "Ella!" he shouted. He raced to her, picked her up, and swung her around in a circle, overjoyed to see that she was safe. "Oh thank God you're alright!"

She pulled herself out of his grasp and backed away. "Don't touch me Archer!"

"Where on earth have you been? I've been so worried about you!"

"What do you mean 'Where have you been?'?!" she cried. "You know exactly where I've been! You dragged me kicking and screaming to your mansion and locked me in, ranting about danger and phantoms!"

"Ella, the Phantom of the Opera is obsessed with you! He's dangerous!" Archer protested.

"There is no Phantom of the Opera!" she shouted. "It's just a story that a bunch of superstitious stagehands made up to try and scare the staff. I'm sorry if you fell for it, but don't you _dare_ drag me into your fantasy!"

"Listen to me love, you're in denial! The Phantom is after you whether you're willing to admit it or not! I'm trying to keep you safe." He pulled her aside. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meg and her mother take a step towards them, but he shot them a look, warning them to stay away. "Ella, even if you don't love me, I don't want you to get hurt. This man will take advantage of you, cause you pain in ways you can't even imagine, then throw you aside once he's used you for all that you're worth. I can't let that happen."

"Isn't that what you're doing to me?" she replied bitterly. His jaw dropped. Why did she so stubbornly refuse to believe that he was looking out for her? Before he could respond, Ella spun around on her heel and left, followed closely by the Girys. Archer just stood there, utterly speechless.

* * *

The second the police officer left, Erik stepped into Ella's dressing room. She threw her arms around him, obviously upset. "They didn't believe me!" she cried. "Since I left Archer's mansion and he told them about his plans to go to America, they thought we were going to elope and I backed out. They refused to believe that he kidnapped me!"

"I know," he replied, trying to soothe her. "I heard everything. But Antoinette did warn us that this was a possibility. Dubois is one of the most well-known names in Paris. The police aren't going to risk angering one of the wealthiest families in France because a ballerina said he did something to her."

Ella clung to him as though her life depended on it. "But they refused to even listen to me! They acted like I was making it all up for attention. Archer has them eating out of the palm of his hand."

"Well we don't need them," Erik said dismissively. "We can come up with another solution." Instinctively, his hand went to the lasso on his hip.

"Erik, don't kill him!"

"It'll be over so much faster if I did," he pouted. By the look on her face, Erik could tell that Ella wasn't sure whether was teasing or not, and honestly he didn't know either.

"You're so much better than that Erik," she protested. "Don't prove them right! Be the man I _know_ you are, not the monster everyone _thinks_ you are."

"Speaking of being different than what everyone thinks, that was quite the fiery performance from you," he said with a teasing smile. "Where on earth did that come from?"

"I just want him to leave me alone," she sighed. "I just want him to leave _us_ alone. Archer just doesn't seem to know the meaning of no. Maybe I should try saying it in a different language. Hopefully he'd start to understand me."

Erik kissed her forehead. "It's worth a shot, but I think he only hears what he wants to hear. But we seem to be making progress. I heard him accept the fact you don't love him, or almost accepted it anyway."

"We can hope," Ella replied.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Ella it's us." She opened the door to reveal Meg and Antoinette. "How are you doing?" Meg asked.

She shrugged. "I'm still here aren't I? That's an improvement over where I was yesterday."

Meg wrapped her arm around Ella's shoulders. "It went that badly?"

"They think I'm an overreacting runaway bride and Archer is just upset that I left."

"C'mon, it sounds like you need a hot bath and just some time to relax. God knows you need a break and a chance to catch your breath."

The blonde led Ella out of the room, leaving Antoinette and Erik alone. "I'm surprised you haven't attempted to kill him yet," Antoinette commented. "That's usually your go-to method of dealing with 'issues'."

"Trust me, I've thought about it," he growled. "It would be so much easier. But Ella thinks I'm a good man, and I'm trying to be for her. Which much to my dismay means I can't strangle him no matter how much I would like to."

"So you're going to have to come up with another plan."

"I know that," Erik snapped. "I'm sick of the sneaking around and the hiding, sick of having to watch my back all the time, sick of worrying myself half to death about Ella."

Antoinette smirked. "Sound familiar?"

Erik sighed. "I almost feel bad for putting Christine and her fop through this. Don't give me that look, I said _almost_."


	40. Chapter 40

Ella sat at the edge of her bed, pretending she couldn't hear the whispers of the other girls. Most of them, like the police, thought that Ella had left of her own free will before getting cold feet. They made no efforts to hide the fact they were talking about her, and they kept staring at her.

"Just ignore them," Meg told her. "They don't know anything."

"But they keep saying things that aren't true. I would never…How could they say that? Meg, they saying…?"

Meg cut her off. "I know what they're saying. We know they're wrong, Erik knows they're wrong, and that's all that matters. Besides, most of them aren't as innocent as they appear. They might say that you've given your virtue to Archer, but I bet less than half of that haven't given theirs to someone already."

"I can't stand them looking at me like that though!" she cried. "I haven't done anything that they're accusing me of."

"They're just jealous of you; jealous that you attracted Archer's attention, jealous that you're the Prima Donna, jealous that you're sweet, innocent Ella. They need something to hate about you so they make things up since they can't find anything wrong."

"Why do I have to go through this too?" Ella sighed. "All I want is to be left alone, for things to go back to normal. Why can't things just go back to the way they were?"

"I'm sure the will," Meg said comfortingly. "Rehearsals start up again tomorrow. Eventually everyone will forget this ever happened."

"Not everyone," Ella whispered. "I won't."

"A good night's sleep in your own bed and you'll feel better," her friend insisted. "Everything will be better in the morning."

Ella nodded. "I hope so."

* * *

Later that night, Ella was tossing and turning, far from sleep. She couldn't get over the other ballerinas judging her like that. They didn't know the whole story. How could they criticize her for something she hadn't even done?

Eventually she gave up her attempts to fall asleep. Even though she knew it probably wasn't a smart idea to be out alone, Ella snuck out of the dormitories, making sure not to awake everyone. She needed somewhere where she could think, somewhere she could breathe. This room just felt too confining to her.

She knew Erik would be upset if he found out that she was wandering the opera in the middle of the night, especially since she was alone. But she missed her Phantom, his comforting embrace. Ella wondered if he knew what the other girls were saying, would he believe them or would he defend her.

Of course he wouldn't believe them. Erik knew she didn't want anything to do with Archer, let alone allow him to take her virtue like the ballerinas were saying. But then again, Archer refused to believe that she wasn't in danger, and he seemed like a level headed person.

Ella walked into her dressing room, making sure to lock the door behind her. She didn't want anyone, well Archer anyway, to find her here. The mirror seemed to call to her, and as Ella sat before it, she considered going down the passage to Erik. But it was late enough, the boat was probably back at the lair, and there was a good chance that he was asleep, and she didn't want to disturb him.

* * *

Archer absentmindedly toyed with his glass, the whiskey inside completely untouched. He needed to come up with a plan to remove the Phantom from their lives. Obviously Ella would fight him until the Phantom was completely out of the way. Once he was gone, Archer could deal with winning her back.

Unfortunately his dilemma was how to do it. The Opera house was the Phantom's domain. He knew every inch of that building, every tunnel, every passage, every secret it contained. Archer could never hope to match that knowledge, which put him at a distinct disadvantage. Somehow he needed to learn something that would give him an edge.

How did Raoul do it? Oh yes, it had only destroyed the interior of the opera, and very nearly cost him his life. But still, perhaps the Vicomte knew something that could be helpful to Archer. While the two had never been particularly close, Archer had grown up in the same circles as Raoul, and knew him well. Archer took a sip from his glass before sitting at his desk and quickly beginning to write a letter to the Vicomte.

Somehow he had to protect Ella, somehow he needed to kill this Phantom, and somehow he needed to stay out of danger himself. This could get a little tricky, but he knew he could do it.

* * *

Erik paced back and forth. He knew Ella was safe upstairs with Meg, but he didn't feel comfortable unless he was with her. Archer could sneak up on her the second she was alone. Eventually he decided to go up to her dressing room. Once he was closer to her, he'd be more content.

When he reached the mirror, he was surprised to see Ella looking back at him. She looked even worse than she had before. Her face was pale and gaunt, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her white nightgown seemed to hang on her petite frame. Careful to not hit her, Erik opened the mirror, revealing himself to her. "Erik?!"

He knelt next to her. "What are you doing in here mon Ange?"

"I can't sleep," she replied. "Not in there. Not with them."

"You need sleep Cheri. This isn't healthy."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't make me go back there."

Erik picked her up and began walking towards his home, carrying her bridal style. "I won't, but you're going straight to bed."

"Yes sir, whatever you say."

Once he was back in the lair, Erik immediately placed her in the swan bed, tucking her in snugly. He kissed her gently and turned to go, but Ella caught his wrist. "What is it mon Ange?"

"Hold me?"

Her request caught him off guard. He sat on the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do. Ella tried to pull him closer, but Erik kept back. "Ella, I…I can't…it's not proper. What would Antoinette say if she found out?"

"I don't care." After hesitating for a moment more, he gave a sigh of defeat. He kicked his boots off before lying next to her. Ella curled up next to him, her head resting over his heart. Erik stiffened for a moment but slowly began to relax. "Now was that so hard?" she murmured sleepily. Almost immediately her breathing began to even and slow as she drifted off.

"Good night Ella," he whispered, gently placing his arm around her waist.


	41. Chapter 41

Erik awoke to an unfamiliar weight on his arm. Turning his head, he saw Ella beside him. She whimpered softly in her sleep, so he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "Erik!" she suddenly screamed. He shook her shoulder gently to wake her up. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and she threw her arms tightly around him. "Erik! Oh Erik!"

"I'm here mon Ange," Erik replied, returning her embrace. "I'm right here."

"Oh God it was awful!" she cried. He could feel her heart hammering in her chest, and her body was trembling. "Erik I was so scared!"

"It was just a dream, a nightmare," Erik cooed, trying to comfort her. "Whatever you saw can't hurt you now." She seemed utterly panicked and terrified. Whatever she had been dreaming, it was clearly upsetting her. "What happened?" he asked.

"You and Archer…you were fighting over me. He stabbed you with his sword when you tried to stop him!" Ella sobbed. "It was all my fault! He snuck up on me and tried to take me back. You were just trying to protect me!"

Erik leaned in and kissed her tear stained cheeks. "You were only dreaming."

She curled up in a ball in his arms, her head resting on his chest. "You must think I'm silly for acting like this, getting so worked up about a dream."

"Trust me," he said softly. "I've my share of nightmares as well. I'm in no position to judge you in the slightest. But you're here with me and I won't let anything happen to you."

Ella nodded and wiped her eyes. "But I'm scared of what Archer is going to try to do next. I know I shouldn't worry, I know you'll protect me, but I don't want him to hurt you."

"He won't Cheri," Erik promised her. "I'm not going to give him the opportunity."

After a while, he was able to get her to calm down somewhat. "So what happens now?" she whispered.

"Well that depends on you," Erik answered. "I believe rehearsals were meant to start back up now that you've returned, but if you're not up for it I can arrange for it to be postponed until tomorrow, or whenever you're ready."

"No," Ella said, shaking her head. "I can handle it. I want my life to get back to normal or as close as I can get. I want to go to rehearsals, I want to get on stage and start performing again. After all, we don't want all our hard work to go to waste."

"If you say so," Erik answered. "Just say the word and I can change the managers' mind."

"I promise you I can handle it."

Erik pressed his lips to her temple. "Then we better get you upstairs soon before someone realizes you're missing."

* * *

"Ella, where did you go last night?" Meg demanded. "You were gone when I woke up, and you had me really worried. Luckily I remembered to check here in your dressing room before I went to my mother. I was scared Archer had taken you again."

"No I'm fine. I just came here for some privacy and some time alone," Ella replied dismissively as she ran her brush through her curls. "I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sorry."

"And?" Meg said with a knowing smile.

"And what?" Ella asked.

"That's all you did? All night? Just spent the whole night in here, by yourself, doing absolutely nothing?" her friend pressed. "It seems highly unlikely."

"Alright, alright _maybe_ Erik was here," Ella admitted.

Meg put her hands on her hips. "_And_?"

"Don't worry; he was very proper the entire time. He's quite the gentleman."

"Well if you say so…"

"After everything yesterday, do you really think I'd do that?" Ella demanded. "I thought you'd think me more decent than that!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Meg said quickly. "I wasn't accusing you of anything, I promise! It's just that he's done some not very nice things in the past, so gentleman doesn't generally come to mind as the first word to describe him."

"Don't we have rehearsal to get to?" Ella asked, switching subjects.

"Yes although I'm surprised you're going. I would have thought after all the excitement you've been put through Erik would have demanded that you take another day off to recover. You only got back yesterday."

"He tried," she confessed. "But I want things to get back to normal, which means spending every day in rehearsals and performing, singing, and dancing. Maybe if I can do that, this nightmare will just be done and over with."

"Well then come on," Meg said taking Ella's hand. "If we want things to be normal, then we better not be late. Because normally my mother would throw a fit, and we don't want that."

* * *

Erik paced back and forth, high in the rafters overlooking the theater. Rehearsals seemed to be progressing normally, but he was keeping a close eye on everything. He could see Dubois with the managers, watching the rehearsal as well. The patron seemed jumpy, his eyes scanning the area above the stage, searching for the Phantom he'd never be able to find.

Ella's voice echoed up to him. Immediately he stopped, looking down with concern. Her voice was strained of course, as she was demanding so much after nearly a week without singing a single note. But besides that, just something wasn't right. The emotion, the passion in her voice was amiss. It wasn't gone completely, just off. As far as he could tell, it was simply from fear and stress, but it still troubled him. Despite Ella's pleading to come back to rehearsal, Erik wasn't sure she was ready. At the very least, they needed to resume lessons until her confidence was back.

He glared at Dubois, even though the boy couldn't see him. Erik was trying to hide it from Ella when they were together, but now that he was alone his fingers itched to have his lasso in his grasp. It was driving him mad that he couldn't kill Archer. There were so many times he could have, but didn't because of Ella. But he would get that boy out of his opera house even if it was the last thing he did. With a swish of his cape, Erik resumed his pacing. Let the games begin.


	42. Chapter 42

Erik was extremely worried about Ella. It had been a week since rehearsals resumed, but her voice still wasn't right. She was perfect technically, but still hadn't been able to achieve the emotion that she had before everything started. He was trying to coax it back by singing with her after rehearsal and at night, but it just wasn't working.

Unfortunately her voice was probably the least of their problems. Ella was spending every single night with him, refusing to sleep in her own bed. Well, when she did actually sleep. She would wake up screaming two or three times a night. Her nightmares were about Archer usually, but sometimes they were flashbacks with her father. No matter what the nightmares were, it still meant that Ella was only getting an hour or two of sleep every night.

Watching the rehearsal, Erik realized Ella looked like she was barely on her feet. Despite Ella's insistence that she could handle this, it was obviously becoming too much for her and no one was doing anything. He couldn't let this go on any longer. He wouldn't.

He quickly dashed across the catwalks where he found the chief scene-shifter. Like his predecessor Joseph Buquet, this man was a drunk, which meant majority of the time he was barely coherent enough to do his job. Luckily for Erik, for once it played out in his favor. The man was so preoccupied with his bottle that he didn't notice the Phantom sneak up right behind him and drop the scenery on the stage below.

The second it fell, chaos erupted on stage. Erik vanished into the shadows, leaving only a very confused, very drunk scene-shifter behind to take the blame. He had timed it so that nothing had been below the falling scene except for several important props on the stage, most of which had been crushed. The stage was littered with debris from his 'accident', rendering it useless until the wreckage was gone, which meant hours of cleanup for the stage crew.

"What the devil is going on up there?" Firmin boomed. "What happened?"

"Somebody get this mess cleaned up!" Andre added. "The rest of you get out of here, there's nothing that can be done for now."

Firmin pulled a flask out of his coat pocket and took a long drink. "Andre, this place is going to be the death of me. First she runs off, now this. I don't know how much more we can take of this nonsense."

Taking advantage of the turmoil, Erik made his way to where Ella was. She had a hand pressed against her temple, and she was shaking. Just as he reached her, her legs gave out and she fell into his waiting arms. He scooped her up and disappeared into the nearest passageway just as Archer appeared, searching for Ella as well.

"Why did you do that Erik?" Ella murmured. "I told you I could handle it."

"No, you can't Ella," he replied. "I was foolish to let you go to rehearsal. You haven't been sleeping. You were and are in no condition to be on that stage." Erik began carrying her towards the lair. "You have yet to recover from being kidnapped. Allowing you to go to rehearsal so soon was a mistake, especially since we have yet to do anything about Archer."

"Erik, I'm fine," Ella insisted.

"You're worrying yourself sick," Erik responded just as stubbornly. "Your body cannot cope with the stress you're going through. You need time to process everything that's happened to you in the past two weeks. You haven't allowed it to sink in, which is taking its toll on you."

By the time they had reached his home, Ella was asleep in his arms. Erik placed her in bed, allowing her to sleep undisturbed, at least until the nightmares began. He sat at her side, humming a soft melody, trying to keep her sleep as peaceful as he could for as long as he could. God knows she needed it.

* * *

"Miss Giry!"

She whirled around at her name. When she spotted him, she nodded in acknowledgement. "Monsieur Dubois. What can I do for you?"

"Where's Ella?" Archer asked. "Where did she go?"

"Ella's over there, just around the corner."

"No she's not," he snapped. "I followed her that way and she disappeared into thin air. It's not possible. Where is she?"

Meg shrugged. "That's the last place I saw her. Sorry, but I haven't seen her since."

"You have to know!" he shouted, grabbing her shoulders tightly. "She trusts you with everything! You have to know where Ella is! You have to help me find her!"

"Let me go," Meg ordered, trying and failing to pull out of his grip. "I don't know where she went. There's a reason she left you. She's terrified of you!"

"She's in danger!" Archer snapped. "But nobody but me is willing to see it!"

"You're mad!"

"Tell me where she is!" he yelled, shaking her.

"If you don't let me go right now, I'll scream," she hissed. "I'll scream so loud the entire opera house will hear me. I'll tell them you tried to force yourself on me. Then we'll see how much money it takes to bribe the police."

Reluctantly he released her. "This isn't over mademoiselle. I will find Ella, and I will save her."

* * *

"How is she?" Antoinette asked the moment she arrived.

Erik gestured towards the bed. "She fell asleep on the way here. So far she's stayed that way, but I'm afraid the nightmares will be kicking in soon." He sat heavily at his desk with a sigh. "God I want to kill Dubois. Can't he see what he's doing to her?"

"Maybe he can't," she replied. "He's so focused on getting her back that he doesn't see it. You should know."

He glared at her. "Antoinette, do you know why I let Christine and that fo-…Raoul go?"

"You never said explicitly but I figured it was because you finally accepted that she loved another and would never be happy with you."

"Not quite," he admitted. "That night, I looked in her eyes. What I saw in them was what made me let her go. When I looked in Christine's eyes I saw cracks; she was on the verge of shattering emotionally. I had pushed her to the edge of insanity and had I taken one more step, I would have sent her over that edge. I couldn't do that to her, so I let her leave."

"So you have a conscience. I knew that somewhere you did."

Erik looked over to where Ella lay sleeping. "I was able to stop myself at the last minute, but Archer, he's just sprinting towards the edge of that cliff, and he's on the verge of catapulting off and dragging Ella down with him. She had that same look that Christine did. Antoinette, if I don't stop him, I'm afraid he will literally drive Ella mad."

"She's stronger than she looks," Antoinette reminded him. "After all, she did survive years of abuse from her father."

"And you remember how frightened of everyone she was afterwards," Erik countered. "All the progress she's made is disappearing. She's retreating back into her shell. Besides you, me, and Meg, she'll only talk to people when she's on stage, and even then, she looks scared to death. I don't think she ever recovered from her father, and Archer is only adding to her pain."

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to have to kill him."


	43. Chapter 43

"Erik you can't be serious!" Antoinette gasped. "You can't kill him!"

"I have to. It's either him or Ella. I can't let him hurt her anymore!"

"There has to be another way!" she protested.

"What if it were Meg?" Erik demanded. "What if instead of Ella, Archer was after Meg? You'd do anything to protect her, don't lie and say you wouldn't. I know you would, because you sent Raoul after Christine even though it meant betraying me."

"That was different!"

"How?!" he roared. Realizing Ella was nearby, Erik took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down before he spoke again. "How is this _any_ different than you helping them?! We both knew that the Vicomte had the intent to kill me."

Before she could respond, Meg burst into the room and ran to Antoinette, clearly in a panic. "Mother! He's gone mad! He's completely and utterly insane!"

"What happened?" Antoinette asked, obviously extremely concerned about her daughter.

"Archer cornered me after rehearsal. He asked me where Ella was, and when I told him I didn't know, he went nuts. He started screaming that I knew and wasn't telling him." Meg wrapped her arms around herself. "He grabbed me, telling me that Ella was in danger! I had to threaten to scream to get him to let me go!"

"Well Miss Giry, you've been dragged into this mess whether you like it or not," Erik said. "I hope you're up for it."

"I think I've always been involved," Meg replied. "It's just now that he's realizing it."

"You need to watch your back Miss Giry," he warned. "He can hurt you if you aren't careful, and I don't think your mother would like that."

"So what are we going to do now?"

Erik ran his fingers through his hair. "Your mother and I were just discussing that. We seemed to have a bit of a disagreement about a course of action."

A hand grabbed Erik's. He turned and to his surprise, he saw Ella. Erik hadn't realized she had awoken. "What does that mean?" she asked. As he stood there, searching for the right answer, Erik didn't know what to tell her, but she knew exactly what he meant. "Erik, you can't kill Archer! Don't stoop to his level!"

"It's the only way to stop him, Ella. He's spiraling out of control."

"I know there has to be something else we can do!" she cried. "Erik, I know you're better than that! Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't kill him."

"Ella…"

"Promise me Erik!" she shouted. "Promise me!"

He hesitated, but her eyes pleaded with him. "Alright," he sighed. "I promise." She let out a sigh of relief. "But we need to come up with another solution."

"I don't know how well it might work," Meg suddenly piped up. "But I think I might have an idea."

* * *

"Oh Tristan, what am I going to do?" Ella whispered. For a moment, she glanced up at the ceiling as if awaiting a sign from her brother, but she received none. She was kneeling in the chapel, trying to sort everything out. Erik had been reluctant to bring her up here, but with enough pleading, he had finally agreed. Now he was standing guard by the door, allowing her some privacy while still protecting her. "I just don't know what to do anymore," she admitted. "I'm just so tired Tristan. Physically, mentally, emotionally, I don't know how long I can take it."

She glanced behind her and saw Erik looking the other way. Even from behind, she could see he was tense, worried that Archer would come down here. "Tris don't worry about Erik. He loves me and will do anything to protect me. I know he can be a little rash, but he has the best intentions. You used to defend me from Papa, and now that you're gone, Erik is looking after me. I'd think you'd really like him if you just gave him a chance. Sure he's a bit different than most people, but I love him Tris, and there is no one I'd rather be with."

Ella sat on the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. "I wonder what it would have been like if we had gotten away that day," she mused. "If Papa hadn't caught us. Where would we have gone, what we would have done. Odds are we probably would have starved to death on the streets, but we might have been able to make it. But what happened happened, and there isn't anything either of us can do about that."

"Tristan, you were the best older brother a girl could ask for. You were much too good for me, and you deserved a far better life than the one you were given. I owe you everything; I don't think I would have survived without you. But I need your help. Help me be strong enough to get through this. Erik's doing everything he can, but I need you. Please Tris, I need you too."

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to her feet. She cried out in surprise as Erik yanked her into the secret passageway. He held her tightly as Archer blundered into the chapel, sword drawn. "Ella!" Archer called. "Ella, where did he take you? I know you're down here! I heard you!" When he received no response, he became furious and started screaming at the walls. "You can't keep her from me forever you bastard! Come out of your hiding place and face me like a man!"

Erik's hand went to the hilt of his own weapon, something he had started wearing constantly in the past few days. His green eyes were filled with murderous fire. "Erik, don't," Ella whispered, but he didn't seem to hear her. "Erik, take me downstairs." He started to draw his sword and moved to open the door. In desperation, she grabbed his arm. "Please Erik! You promised me!"

He blinked as though noticing her for the first time. For a moment, he glanced between Ella and Archer, noticeably torn on what to do, before sliding his sword back and grabbing her hand. "Come on," he growled, pulling her down the tunnel. "Before I change my mind."


	44. Chapter 44

"Erik, when am I going back to rehearsal?" Ella asked. He was sitting at his desk, furiously writing something, and didn't even acknowledge the fact she had spoken. "If I don't go back, they'll replace me with someone else! I need to go or everything we've worked for will go to waste!"

"Antoinette has told the managers you are sick and will not be performing or rehearsing until further notice," Erik informed her without even looking up. "They have been advised to find an understudy until you are able to return."

Ella stared at him, her mouth agape. "That's it then? I'm not allowed to go? No discussion at all? Erik, I know Archer is up there, but I want to be able to sing again."

"You know you are more than welcome to sing than down here," Erik gestured towards the paper before him. "Let me finish this and I will play for you if you'd like."

"That's not what I meant," Ella replied.

Erik sighed before placing his pen aside and finally facing her. "Then what do you mean?"

"I want to start performing again. I know I'm not the greatest, but I was starting to enjoy it. You put a lot of time and effort into helping me learn to sing, I don't want it to be for nothing."

"Once Archer is gone," he promised before turning back to his desk. Erik signed the note with the letters O.G. before folding it, placing it an envelope, and sealing it with his signature red wax skull. "But you can't handle the stress that he causes you. If Meg's idea works, then it won't be too much longer until he's out of our lives for good."

"Doesn't what I want matter?" Ella demanded. "I realize you're trying to protect me and I'm grateful for that, I really am, but Erik this is my life. Don't I get an opinion?"

She knew that Archer had been pushing Erik's patience to the limit, but the second the words left her mouth, Ella could tell it was vanishing. "Then what do you want?!"

"I…I don't know!" she admitted in exasperation. "I want this to be over!"

He stood, anger glowing in his eyes. "I'm doing everything I can!" Erik shouted. "But you limit my options to practically nothing then get upset when I don't produce the results you want when you want them! You know where the door is! If you don't like my methods then leave!" Ella gawked at him, completely stunned by his outburst. The two stared at each other, neither saying anything. Finally she spun around and ran away, tears in her eyes.

* * *

Erik stared in the direction she had gone, suddenly realizing what he had done. Ella was already in such a fragile state, and screaming at her was probably the worst possible thing to do. He immediately took off after her.

For a moment, he nearly ran upstairs, but paused when he saw another door slightly ajar. Erik pushed it open and walked into his library. Books and music were scattered everywhere like always. He would tell himself all the time that he needed to clean it, but he knew where everything was when he wanted something. And looking over, he saw his angel crying in the corner.

Ella was curled up in fetal position, her face pressed against her knees. He fell beside her shuddering body. "Oh Ella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper."

She slowly looked up. "No, you're right," she replied between sobs. "I'm not being fair to you. I'm asking so much of you and giving you nothing in return."

He tilted her face towards him and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "Don't say that. You are the only light in my life. I need you."

"I don't belong here Erik," Ella said suddenly. "I don't belong upstairs. Maybe I just should just go somewhere else and save you the trouble of having to deal with me and Archer."

"What part of 'I need you' didn't you hear?" Erik asked in disbelief. "Why on earth would you say that you need to leave?"

"Upstairs, I don't belong. They treat me like I'm different. I _am_ different. I love you, which means I just don't fit. But this is your world, so there isn't room for me here either."

Erik pulled her into his embrace. "I will do anything to make you feel like you belong here. It isn't my world anymore, it is _our_ world. And I'm sorry if I ever made you think otherwise."

For a long while, she remained silent, before finally asking, "Erik, what were you writing?"

"A letter to the managers. The Phantom has been quiet for far too long, and it seems suspicious," he explained. "Especially with all the chaos that has been happening onstage. Besides, this may wind up working to our advantage."

"But what did you write?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," he replied. "I just asked them for a small favor." Erik kissed her forehead. "I need to deliver this; I'll be gone ten minutes at the most."

After hesitating for a moment, Ella nodded. "Alright. I'll wait for you down here."

Making his way upstairs, Erik realized that his definition of a small favor and Ella's probably weren't even on the same scale. Glancing at the cream envelope in his hand, he thought about what the note contained. Meg was smart to have come up with it. It was simple really. He ordered the managers to refuse Dubois' patronage or Dubois could be the patron to a pile of ash. Hopefully Andre and Firmin still remembered last time and wouldn't dare call his bluff. Because he couldn't set the opera house on fire again. He wouldn't risk losing Ella because he had done something stupid. But they didn't need to know that.

* * *

There was a knock at Archer's door. His valet walked in with an envelope in his hand. "Monsieur Dubois, I have a letter for you from the Vicomte de Chagny."

Archer ripped it out of his hand. "It's about time. I've been waiting for this for far too long."

He tore open the envelope and began reading the message inside with such urgency that he almost missed his valet's next few words. "Monsieur, the managers from the Populaire have also requested a meeting with you this morning. They said it was urgent and ask to see you as soon as possible." Absorbed by the letter, Archer just waved his hand dismissively. The valet bowed his head respectfully before retreating out the door.

"Mirror is a door…secret passages…underground lake…" Archer murmured as he read the letter. "My God, how much territory does this ghost have?" The Opera Populaire was clearly bigger than the average person knew about.

The next few lines caught his attention and he began to read them out loud. "_Christine said he first started visiting her in the chapel, it's where he taught her to sing. She knows somewhere there is at least one hidden passage, but she doesn't know where it exactly the door is or how to open it. If you can find it, it could be your best chance of catching the Phantom off guard. He knows that the mirror and the staircase have been compromised and has probably taken measures against them. However, if you can surprise him in his own domain, you might stand a chance._"

The chapel! Of course! He knew that he had heard Ella's voice in there! The Phantom must have pulled her into the tunnel and back into captivity. Archer placed the letter aside, marched down the stairs, and began calling for his carriage. He was going to the opera, and he wasn't leaving until he had his love back at his side.


	45. Chapter 45

Ella wondered where Erik had gone. He said he was going to check on rehearsal and would be back within an hour, but it had been nearly twice that. She wasn't too concerned yet though. Erik had a tendency to get swept up in music and lose track of time. Besides as Phantom of the Opera, he would get distracted if rehearsal was going well, and he would get distracted if rehearsal was going not so well. She had been hoping he could take her upstairs to the chapel, just for a few minutes, but the day was slipping away quickly, and it didn't seem like that was going to happen.

Pushing a curtain aside to reveal one of the mirrors Erik kept covered at all times, Ella was shocked by her own appearance. Even though she knew she wasn't sleeping well at night, the dark circles under her eyes surprised her. She looked awful, and it took her a second for her to realize that it was her actual reflection. What was happening to her? Ella dropped the curtain and backed away, singing a soft melody.

"_Look at me  
You may think you see  
Who I really am  
But you'll never know me  
Every day  
It's as if I play a part  
Now I see  
If I wear a mask  
I can fool the world  
But I cannot fool my heart_

_Who is that girl I see_  
_Staring straight back at me?_  
_When will my reflection show_  
_Who I am inside?_

_I am now_  
_In a world where I_  
_Have to hide my heart_  
_And what I believe in_  
_But somehow_  
_I will show the world_  
_What's inside my heart_  
_And be loved for who I am_

_Who is that girl I see_  
_Staring straight back at me?_  
_Why is my reflection_  
_Someone I don't know?_  
_Must I pretend that I'm_  
_Someone else for all time?_  
_When will my reflection show_  
_Who I am inside?_

_There's a heart that must be_  
_Free to fly_  
_That burns with a need to know_  
_The reason why_

_Why must we all conceal_  
_What we think, how we feel?_  
_Must there be a secret me_  
_I'm forced to hide?_  
_I won't pretend that I'm_  
_Someone else for all time_  
_When will my reflection show_  
_Who I am inside?_  
_When will my reflection show_  
_Who I am inside?"_

Even though Erik wasn't back yet, Ella needed to talk to Tristan. No he wasn't the best conversationalist, but she could tell him everything, and she knew her brother wouldn't judge her. She probably could talk to him down here, but the chapel was where she felt like she connected with him.

Against her better judgment, Ella used the secret passage to go upstairs. She knew Erik would be upset with her, but he had made it clear that she wasn't his prisoner; she could do what she wanted. If he got too worried, she knew this would be the first place he'd look.

She was closing the door behind her when a shadow fell over her. Ella spun around and gasped in horror. "Ar…Arch…Archer…" she stammered, her eyes growing wide.

"Oh Ella, thank God you're alright!" Archer grabbed her arm and wrenched her close. She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but his hold was too tight. "Where is he?"

"I…I…I don't know," she admitted.

"That door, it leads to his lair doesn't it? Open it and I'll end this once and for all!"

"Let me go!" Ella cried. "Archer, please!"

"Open the door!" Archer ordered. "I'll kill the monster!" Keeping his arm tight around her, Archer dragged her to the wall. "Where is the switch? How do you open it? Tell me Ella!"

"No!" She let out a loud sob. "Stop this Archer! Look at what you're doing! This isn't helping anyone! What happened to the kind, sensitive gentleman I used to know? You're changing Archer, changing into a monster!"

"I'm saving you Ella!" he replied stubbornly. "Now tell me how to open this door! I have to kill the Phantom!"

Ella shook her head, trying to blink back tears. She opened her mouth to scream, but Archer pulled her against his chest and crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her roughly. Desperately, Ella twisted her head away and tried to tear herself from his grasp. "Let me go!"

As frantically as Ella tried to escape, Archer fought just as hard. Somehow she managed to break free, but he snatched her skirt, making her stumble. Ella's head slammed into the chapel's stone wall, causing her to crumple to the ground.

* * *

Erik flew upstairs, taking the stairs two at a time. How could Ella think it was even a remotely good idea to be wandering the opera alone? While his plan had technically worked, the managers _did_ refuse to maintain Dubois as their patron, Archer was less than willing to leave.

He burst into the chapel and found Ella lying on the floor. Erik fell to his knees beside her and cradled her head in his lap. What had happened to her? Slowly her eyes fluttered open. "Er…Erik?" she murmured.

"I'm here mon Ange."

Suddenly she gasped. "No, go! Now! It's a trap!"

The first words the popped into his mind were _Well duh._ Everything clicked as he heard a soft footstep behind him. Of course it was a trap. The boy had been pressed against the wall next to the passageway, and Erik had been so focused on Ella, he hadn't noticed. Erik leaped to one side, Ella in his arms, the two barely dodging Archer's sword.

Springing to his feet, Erik pushed Ella behind him and drew his weapon. This was it, their final showdown. The two circled for a moment, before Archer lunged at him and the battle was on.

* * *

Ella watched in horror as the two men exchanged blows. She had been of afraid something like this. Neither one would back down until the other was dead.

Not to mention the chapel was no place for a swordfight. It was a small stone room, so the swords would clang every time one hit a wall. It was only a matter of time before someone heard.

"Stop!" she begged. "Both of you! You don't have to do this!"

Erik pushed her into a corner so she wasn't hit by one of Archer's wild blows. "Let her go, you beast!" Archer ordered. "She's no longer your captive!"

"And I won't stand aside and let you take her prisoner either," Erik snarled.

As Erik tried to protect Ella, a hole developed in his guard. Archer saw this and pounced. "_NO!"_ she screamed.

* * *

The Phantom fell beside Ella, both their hands trying to staunch the blood. Archer's sword clattered to the ground as he stared at the scene before him in horror. "Erik, oh Erik," Ella sobbed.

"It's going to be alright," he replied, trying to reassure her. "It's nothing, just a little scratch." Both of them knew it was far from" just a little scratch", but there was nothing either of them could do.

"I love you Erik," she whispered. "I will always love you."

"Don't talk like that." His words were scolding but his tone was an attempt at lightheartedness. "You're making it sound like someone's going to die. I refuse to let that to happen."

She could tell he was trying to stay calm but there was just so much blood. Ella was afraid that this was going to be it. "This was supposed to be a happy ending."

"It…it will be," Erik assured her. "You are an angel sent to make the earth a little brighter. You _will_ have a happy ending, or so help me God, I will make you have one!"

Like expected, the fight hadn't been quiet. Footsteps echoed down the stairs. Luckily it was only Meg, but her face drained of color when she saw what had happened. Her jaw dropped and she began to scream bloody murder, attracting a lot more attention.

"Go!"

"But…but…"

"Go now! Leave me! There is no reason for you to get involved in this!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"They'll find him, they'll find me. They'll figure out what happened, but you don't need to get mixed up in this! Go before it's too late." Their lips met once more before the two reluctantly separated. Meg continued to scream. A few stagehands appeared and began shouting for a doctor and for the police.

* * *

It was hours before Antoinette found him. Erik was standing in the secret passage staring at the place Ella had fallen. His hands were wet, sticky, and red from the blood of an angel. It still hadn't sunk in that Ella had shoved him out of the way. His eyes slowly rose to meet Antoinette's, an unspoken question in them. She gestured for him to follow, and the two left the chapel without ever speaking a word. Erik was too afraid of what he would learn if they did talk.


	46. Chapter 46

Everything hit Erik like a train when he saw how still Ella was. Her face was drained of color, and if it weren't for the fact he could see her breathing, he would have assumed she was dead. Meg was sitting beside her friend, and it was clear she had been crying. He knelt next to the bed and took Ella's hand, watching the shallow rise and fall of her chest. "How is she?" he asked thickly.

"The doctor just left," Meg whispered. "He…he said…" Her voice trailed off, unable to finish.

Antoinette put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "If Ella can make it through the night, then she has a good fighting chance."

"_If_?" Erik repeated. "What do you mean _if_?"

"The sword thankfully missed anything vital," Antoinette informed him. "The doctor did his best, but it was hard for him to close the wound, and it took him quite a while. It's been stitched shut, but she lost a lot of blood in the progress."

"How long has she been unconscious?"

"She was drifting in and out until the doctor arrived, but he gave her a sedative to help her cope with the pain. There is no way to tell when, or if, she'll wake up."

Erik's fingers toyed with one of Ella's silky curls, as he tried not to break down. "Oh my poor angel, how much more suffering must the world put you through before it leaves you alone?"

"What happened to Archer?" Meg asked, fear audible in her voice. "If he comes up here, while she's like this, I mean he could…He's hurt her so much already, what if he does even more damage?"

"He won't," Erik replied bluntly. "The police were summoned, they took him away. It was his sword, her injuries, and as far as anyone could tell, they were alone. There is no way he can deny he did it. However, I doubt he'll stay behind bars or even tried. After all, the police just shrugged when he kidnapped her."

"But look at her!" the dancer protested. "Ella's on the verge of life and death! Archer should be tried for attempted murder!" It remained unspoken that Ella still could die. No one was willing to admit that fact.

"Meg, Erik's right," Antoinette said softly. "Archer is son of one of the most respected men in all of France. His family could bribe the police with massive sums of money and think nothing of it. Honestly, his name alone is probably enough to get him off."

The blonde wiped her eyes. "So what happens now?"

Erik clenched his jaw. "If he dares to set foot in my opera again, I will kill him, no matter the consequences."

* * *

Ella blinked away the blinding light. She was so confused to where she was; she couldn't see much of anything. Looking around, she finally spotted a young, red haired man. Something about him seemed very familiar. He gave her an easygoing smile. "Hello Ellie."

"Tristan!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms. "Oh Tristan I've missed you so much!"

"Why?" He seemed surprised. "I never left you. I know I might not have been there physically, but I've been in your heart the whole time."

"Where are we Tris?" she asked. "Is this heaven?"

"That doesn't really matter," her brother replied evasively.

"Am I dead?"

Her brother sighed. "That, Ellie, is up to you. I'm supposed to be here to tell you that it isn't your time, that you need to go back. But if you don't want to go, I can't make you."

"Can I stay here with you?"

"You need to think this through Ellie." Tristan put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You can come back here, when it's your time, but if you decide to stay, you can never go back there. Don't you have someone waiting for you?"

"Erik," Ella whispered. "Tris, he's done some things that he might regret, but I love him."

He smiled at her. "I know you do. He's a fine man and cares for you very much. I don't think my baby sister could have found a better person to love."

She stared at her brother for a long while, torn on what to do. "I don't want to leave you Tris; it's been so long without you. I missed you so much. But I can't leave Erik. He's been abandoned by everyone he's ever loved. Oh what do I do?"

"It's your decision Ellie. I can't make it for you."

"Do you know why I'm here?"

Tristan nodded. "Yes Ellie, I know what Archer did to you."

"I almost married him!" she screamed. "He stabbed me, but a month ago I was considering marrying him!" Ella began to sob. Her brother hugged her and let her cry. "It just shows I can't make major decisions like this! Bad things happen every single time! I can't win!"

"You have to choose something. We can't stay here forever."

"What do I do Tris? Tell me which to pick, give me advice, help me!" Ella cried. "I don't want to lose you again, but I don't want to lose Erik either! Is there any way I can have both of you?"

He shook his head. "Ella it doesn't work like that. You can't have both of us, not for now. In time yes, but not until then."

"Then what should I do?!" Ella crumpled to the ground, crying. "I just don't know!"

Her brother sat down next to her. "Ellie, I will always be there looking out for you. I always have and always will be. Never forget that. There is a man who loves you very much waiting for you. If you go back to him, there will come a day where you are meant to come back here to stay. Once that day comes, we can be reunited."

She raised her eyes to meet his. "Tris, have I ever told you that you were the best brother the world could offer? What happened to you wasn't fair."

"Life's not fair," he replied softly. "But it's not about whether you're treated fairly, it's how you treat others despite what happens to you. Had I had the option you do, I would have leaped at the chance."

"Tristan, I love you," Ella whispered. "But you're right. I do need to go back to Erik."

He kissed her forehead. "I know Ellie. It's not your time, and you know it. But I'll see you someday."

The light blinded her again. This time, as it began to clear, Ella became aware of an agonizing pain in her stomach. A tenor voice singing a soft melody reached her ears, and she could feel a leather clad hand holding her own, a thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. "Erik?" she whispered.

He leaned in and kissed her brow. "Rest mon Ange. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."


	47. Chapter 47

"Monsieur, I must protest!" Madame Giry told the policeman. "Miss LeFontelle had, to say the _very_ least, an extremely trying day yesterday. As you can guess, she is in a lot of pain. She only awoke a few hours ago. Is there any way you can come back after she has recovered?"

The officer shook his head. "I'm sorry Madame, but we need to know what happened while the memories are still fresh. I understand that she is injured and so I'll try to keep this as short as possible."

"It's okay," Ella whispered. Any movement, or even talking caused her immense pain in her stomach. "I…I can do this."

Madame Giry glanced at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "It's not like I'm doing anything else right now. I can try to be helpful, but I don't know how much I can tell you. What happened was pretty self-explanatory."

"What happened to you in the chapel mademoiselle?"

Ella looked up to Madame Giry, remembering what excuse Erik had come up to explain her absence from rehearsals. The ballet mistress whispered something to Meg before disappearing out the door.

"I had been sick," Ella lied. "But I was feeling better and decided to take a trip to the chapel. Archer came down, saying something about secret tunnels and the Phantom of the Opera. He threw me against the wall, I hit my head. When I woke up, he had his sword out. I tried to run but he was swinging it everywhere. The next thing I knew, he stabbed me."

"That's all that happened?" he pressed. "Nothing else?"

"I don't like your tone Monsieur," Meg snapped, leaping to Ella's defense. "What exactly are you implying? Why would Ella lie to you?"

He shrugged. "I'm just trying to get all the facts."

"No you're trying to find some way to pin this on Ella!" Meg accused. "You're trying to make it seem like it's her fault because Archer has money! You don't want to offend his family! Look at her! No matter what happened, she's still hurt! It was his sword and her blood! You saw the evidence for yourself! Why would Ella hurt herself?"

"Mademoiselle, if you cannot control yourself, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"

"Meg, don't do this," Ella pleaded. "It's nothing. I'm fine really." She reached out to calm Meg down, but an antagonizing pain shot through her abdomen, making her cry out.

"That's enough!" the doctor said sharply, being led into the room by Madame Giry.

"Monsieur, she's told you what you've needed to know," the ballet mistress added. "Ella has had enough. She's very clearly in pain, and you're doing nothing but stressing her more. If you need more information, you can come back at another time. Until then, you need to leave."

The officer glanced at Ella. "We'll be in touch Mademoiselle."

Once the policeman was gone, the doctor turned his attention to Ella, who had tears of pain streaming down her face. "It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling? On a scale from one to ten, one being minor discomfort, ten being the absolute maximum you can take, how strong is the pain?"

"Eleven!" she gasped.

He nodded. "I figured. In a few days the pain will begin to lessen. But for now I something that will help you sleep through it." The doctor reached into his bag, pulled out a small bottle, and held it underneath her nose for a moment, making her breathe in its fumes. Ella's eyelids began to droop and the pain began to lessen as she drifted off.

* * *

"It was an accident!" Archer explained.

"How do you accidentally stab someone with a sword Monsieur Dubois?" the police captain asked. The two were settled in armchairs in the captain's office discussing what had happened at the opera house.

"It was the Phantom of the Opera's fault!" he cried. "He's been after her for weeks now! He kidnapped her and hypnotized her into thinking she loved him! I was trying to save her! We were fighting yes, and when I was on the verge of defeating him, he threw Ella in front of himself to take the blow instead."

The captain nodded, before pouring two generous glasses of brandy and handing one to Archer. "And just how long have you been aware of this phantom following Miss LeFontelle?"

Archer took a gulp of the amber liquid before telling him the full story. "I had been seeing Ella for a few weeks when we went to the New Years' Masquerade together. About an hour into the ball, she disappeared. Later I saw her with a man I didn't recognize, he had her pulled against him and was kissing her. When I tried to get closer, she looked right at me, she was utterly terrified. He dragged her away and I couldn't find her for the rest of the night."

"The next morning she told me she couldn't ever see me again. After that she came to me after a rehearsal, bruises on her wrist and face, but wouldn't tell me what was going on. Eventually I convinced her to leave with me, for her protection, but she ran away the night of our wedding."

"Another one of the dancers came up to me and told me that she was worried about her, and had been following Ella. She said that the Phantom had taken Ella prisoner and threatened my life if she married me. I went to her dressing room and heard a man threatening her. The door was locked, so I did the only thing I could. I had her brought to my mansion outside of Paris with plans to depart for America. Poor Ella was so scared that the Phantom was going to come after us, she ran back to the opera. She disappeared again, this time for days. I found her in the chapel, trying to escape the Phantom. The fight broke out, and Ella was hurt."

"If Miss LeFontelle had been kidnapped, then why was she in the chapel?"

"I don't know," Archer replied honestly. "As far as I could tell, she was trying to run from the Phantom. One of the walls had a secret door, which I figure must lead to his lair."

"Monsieur Dubois, you realize this story is awfully far-fetched," the captain replied. "Phantoms, secret doorways, how do you expect me to believe this?"

Archer thought about it for a moment. "I can show you the passages! And the ballerina, you can ask her! Come Monsieur, I will prove it to you!"

* * *

Erik stood guard over Ella like an angel of the night. He hated that she had to be sedated all the time, but it was the only way for her to handle the pain. Movement of any kind caused her such agony that it broke his heart. It was all his fault that she was suffering like this.

The door opened. Erik spun around, but it was only Meg. "He's coming!" she cried. "He's here! He's in the chapel!"

"Stay here with her and lock the door!" he ordered. "Don't let anyone in but your mother!" Meg nodded and Erik immediately took off.

"I know there's a door here somewhere!" Archer was shouting. He was banging on the wall in frustration. Erik had to smirk; the switch Dubois was so desperately looking for was less than a foot above his hand. "I saw it!" Finally he gave a sigh of defeat. "Her dressing room! There's another passage there!"

Dubois was with half a dozen police officers, and he knew that even the Phantom of the Opera would have a hard time taking on that many. Luckily, he when he made the mirror a door, he had thought of everything.

He skidded to a halt and had just slid the locking mechanism into place, when Archer and his men burst into the room. Dubois raced to the mirror and began pulling on it with all the strength he had. To everyone, it looked just like a regular mirror. "It leads to a tunnel I swear! I just can't get it! Help me open this!"

"Monsieur, there is nothing there," one of the officers insisted.

"There's a girl who can tell you the truth! One of the ballerinas!" Archer ran out of the room, followed closely by the men and Erik.

Dubois ran into the dormitories, making several of the ballerinas cry out in surprise. "Where is she?" he shouted.

"Where's who?" one of the girls asked. "Other than Meg and Ella, this is everyone."

"No!" he screamed. "There was one other girl! I know! I saw her!"

"Monsieur, you need to come with us."

Archer shook off the police officer. Erik kept close behind him as he made his way to where Meg and Ella were. Dubois began trying to break down the door. "Let me in!" he shouted. "The Phantom has to be here!" On the other side, Erik could here Meg screaming for help.

A few men came and pulled him away. Taking advantage of the uproar, Erik slipped into the room. Meg looked to him, fear in her eyes. "What's happening?"

"I don't think we're going to hear from Archer for a long time," he replied simply.


	48. Chapter 48

"Erik?" she called weakly, as she slowly came to.

Instantly he was at her side. "Yes mon Ange?"

"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't alone." She reached for him, so he sat at the edge of her bed and took her hand. "How long has it been Erik?"

"It's been five days since Archer's hurt you," he explained. He continued when he saw her facial expression. "The doctor felt it would be best to keep you sedated. Moving just puts strain on your injury, and the pain was too much for you."

"Five whole days?" she murmured in disbelief.

She sat up slowly, but it still hurt her stomach. "Ella, you shouldn't be moving," Erik reminded her as he gently wiped away her tears of pain. "There is a reason the doctor wanted you to stay asleep. You were healing faster that way."

"Hold me," she begged. "Please. I don't care if I'm not supposed to be sitting up, just hold me." Erik shifted and helped her lean back until she was reclining against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

He loosely wrapped his arms around her. His brow furrowed as he realized how rapidly her chest was rising and falling. "Ella, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied with a nod. "That was just a little more than I think was ready for."

"Antoinette was fetching the doctor to have him check your progress anyway. If it's something more, he'll be able to tell."

"Erik, I'm fine," Ella repeated, as she tried to catch her breath. "I promise it's nothing."

Before he could protest further, there was a knock at the door. Erik placed a quick kiss on her lips before lying her back down and disappearing. Madame Giry walked into the room with the doctor. "Good morning Ella," Madame Giry said with a smile. "I'm glad to see you up."

"Is it really morning?" she asked, faking drowsy confusion. "What time is it? I feel so out of it right now. How long have I been unconscious?"

"You've been asleep for five days," the doctor informed her.

"Wha…What?" she screeched. "Five days?! How is it possible to sleep for that long?" She knew full well how it was possible, seeing as Erik had already explained everything, but she had to act like she didn't know.

"I've had to keep you sedated," he explained. "Otherwise you'd risk reopening your injury. Now that it's starting to heal, it's less of a risk."

Ella immediately tried to sit up, but the doctor and Madame Giry gently pushed her back down. "I have to get to rehearsal," she gasped through the pain. "I'm probably already in so much trouble."

"Absolutely not. You are in no condition to be up and about. You need rest to heal." He took her wrist and checked her pulse, realizing she was quickly becoming short of breath. "Close your eyes and breathe deeply," he ordered.

"I'm…I'm…alright," Ella wheezed. "Really."

"I was afraid of this," the doctor muttered under his breath as he propped Ella up with some pillows.

"Afraid of what?" Madame Giry asked.

"The sword, while thankfully missing her vital organs, pierced the some of the muscles that play a part in her ability to breathe. While I have no doubts that you will indeed heal, there's no way to tell how you will. It is extremely likely that even slightly strenuous activities like singing will leave you breathless."

"But I'm an opera singer!" Ella cried. "I have to be able to sing!"

"You may have to look into a new career mademoiselle," the doctor replied. "I'm sorry." He seemed truly apologetic, but it didn't ease the pain of his words. "However, everyone heals differently. There is a small chance you may recover. You might be able to sing again, but unfortunately not to a professional degree."

* * *

After the doctor left, he told Antoinette to return to her duties and he would watch over Ella. But Erik knew there were no words to comfort his poor angel. He wrapped his arms around her shuddering body and just let her cry. As he rocked her, Erik felt his hatred for Dubois grow infinitely. When he couldn't cage Ella's song, he did something even worse by silencing it forever.

"Shh," he whispered when she began to gasp for air. "Everything's going to be alright."

She shook her head. "No it won't! I can't sing. The managers will find someone else and I'll be replaced! If that happens, I won't be allowed to stay here anymore!"

"Are you really worried about being on the streets?" he asked in disbelief. "Do you really think after everything, that Antoinette and I would let that happen to you?"

"Wha…What about Archer? He knows about us. He won't give up, and now he knows how to find your home!"

"Archer isn't going to be a problem anymore," Erik said softly.

"Is he going to jail?"

"No," he whispered. "Ella, Archer's been sent to a sanatorium."

Her eyes grew wide. "What? When? Why?"

"He was trying to lead the police through the mirror in your dressing room so I locked it. When he couldn't get through, he decided to find Jacqueline to have her back up his story."

"But…but I thought Jacqueline left."

Erik nodded. "She did. Archer didn't know her name so he was just screaming there was another girl missing. When no one could figure out who he was talking about, he tried to break in here. To someone who didn't know he was right, he looked completely mad. And I'm not entirely sure he wasn't."

"So it's all over now?" She looked up to him, her watery eyes glimmering with hope. "He's gone for good?"

"Yes mon Ange. We never have to worry about him again."

* * *

"I wonder how Ella's doing," Meg said to her mother a few weeks later. "I know she wants us back at our duties, but I feel awful leaving her."

"Well Erik's upstairs with her. The doctor says she's getting stronger every day. She's up and walking a little bit now," Madame Giry replied.

"Is she going to come back to rehearsal any time soon?"

Madame Giry shook her head. "You know what the doctor said. Even a few steps require a lot of effort. The managers are upset that she's stayed her so long. It's taking everything Erik can throw at them to keep her here."

Meg glanced at the clock. "I'm going to go check on her during lunch. I'll see you when rehearsal starts back up."

She quickly made her way through the opera house until she reached Ella's room. "It's me," she called as she knocked on the door. Meg frowned when the room remained silent. "Hello? Ella? Anyone in there?" Still not receiving an answer, she walked into the room. Much to her surprise, it was empty with no sign of her friend or the Phantom.

Finally she found something out of the ordinary. Lying on the pillow was a white rose. Meg smirked slightly as she picked up the flower. "They could have just said something. There was no need for all the dramatics." Then she realized who she was talking about. The Phantom of the Opera was nothing but dramatic.


	49. Chapter 49

"How's she doing?" Antoinette asked, about two months after Ella was hurt. "I've been meaning to come and visit, but as you know, things have been busy with the new Prima Donna."

Erik scowled. "What are they going to do once Ella is fully healed? I said find an understudy, not completely replace her!"

"You need to wake up and face reality Erik," Antoinette replied. "Ella will never be able to return to the stage. You, Ella, the managers, and I all know what the doctor said. She won't heal enough."

"But what if she does?" he protested. "Then what will happen to her?"

"And what if she doesn't? What will happen to her then?" Antoinette snapped back. "You had to take her to your home because Andre and Firmin believed she would never heal to a point where she could perform again." Erik knew she was right, but he didn't want to believe it. Antoinette could tell she had upset him so her voice softened. "So how is Ella?"

"She's adjusting," he answered. "She's beginning to walk around a bit more. I'm helping her as much as I can, but she's getting stronger. Maybe she can sing soon."

"Don't you dare push her!" Antoinette snapped. "I don't want you pressuring her to do anything until she's ready. If she can't sing, then don't try and make her."

"I won't!" Erik insisted. "I've actually had to stop Ella from pushing herself too far and accidentally hurting herself."

"So what are you going to do about Ella?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're taking care of her. Don't you have some sort of plan for long term?"

"I was thinking about taking her to the countryside. She could heal in peace out there. We wouldn't have to hide. She wouldn't have to spend every day seeing everything that Archer took away from her."

Antoinette sighed. "I know you have the best of intentions Erik, but she's young and innocent. She had never had a chance to be independent or learn how the world around her works and that's left her extremely vulnerable."

His eyes narrowed and his tone grew dangerous. "If you dare imply what I think you are…"

She held up a hand to silence him. "What I'm saying is that Ella has always had someone to care for her…more or less. Now that her career in opera has been ruined, she can't be housed in the dormitories. And because she has so few skills that don't have to do with performing in addition to her injuries, there is no way she can seek employment elsewhere. She only really has one option from here: marriage."

"No!" Erik cried. "I will not let her go to suffer more abuse at the hands of yet another man! I'll take care of her until the end of my days if I have to!"

"You stupid man!" Antoinette exclaimed in frustration. "I never said it couldn't be you!"

Erik stared at her in shock. "You want me to marry her?"

"Don't you want to marry her?" she countered.

"More than anything," Erik replied. "It's just….just….What if she says no?"

Antoinette put her hands on her hips. "And what if she says yes? You love her, she loves you. Why on earth would she refuse you? But either way, you'll never find out if you never even try."

* * *

Ella felt Erik's strong, secure arms wrap around her. She closed her eyes and nestled closer. He gently wiped away a tear that slipped out of the corner of her eye. "Ella we can go downstairs. We don't have to stay up here."

"I'm okay. Really, I am," she replied, shaking her head. "I want to see how they're doing without me." Ella looked around the theater. "No wonder you like Box Five so much. This is a beautiful spot. You can see everything from here."

"And no one can see us," he replied. He gently placed a kiss on her lips.

"She's wonderful." Erik could see the hurt and pain in her eyes as she stared at her replacement with jealousy. "I didn't think they would find someone so good so soon."

"Are you sure you're alright mon Ange? If you don't want us to stay…"

"Of course I'm not alright!" Ella suddenly cried. "I want to be up there! I want to be singing but Archer ruined that."

He cradled her against his chest as she began to sob. "Oh Cheri, you shouldn't have to see this." Erik picked her up and began to carry her back towards the lair. She buried her face in his shoulder. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."

"Like where?" she demanded. "Where can we go? Erik you live under an opera house!"

"I'm the Phantom of the Opera," he replied. "I've been paid twenty-thousand francs a month for years. I don't even use half that in a year. I can easily afford to get us a cottage in the country. Somewhere where we can be together, somewhere where no one can hurt us, somewhere where we can be happy."

"Could we really do that?" Ella asked quietly. "Could we just disappear?"

"Haven't we already?"

Ella hesitated for a few moments. "Erik, does Madame Giry know that we want to leave?"

"She gave us her blessing on one condition."

* * *

Meg threw her arms tightly around Ella. "How are you doing?" she asked. "I've missed you! I wanted to come down more often but mother wouldn't let me. She said it would be too suspicious if I disappeared too often."

"No, she's right," Ella said. "It's okay. Honestly, I understand."

"You're healing nicely. Look at you up and about."

"I'm not," she replied. "I can't sing. I can't dance. I can't even walk very far. Poor Erik had to carry me upstairs. I'm completely useless."

"I doubt Erik would see it quite like that," Meg insisted. "He loves you." Her friend's brow furrowed. "Something happened. You're not telling me something. What happened?"

A soft smile touched her lips. "Erik and I are leaving. He's found a cottage outside of Paris. We're going to leave after…"

"After what…?" Meg pressed.

"Well I was hoping you'd agree to come to my wedding." Meg squealed in surprise and delight. "This time I promise I won't run away," Ella added with a laugh.


	50. Chapter 50

Ella was getting a strong feeling of déjà vu, only better. Once again, she was in a white dress, in a back room of a church with Meg. But this time, she wanted to be here. This time she was really marrying the man she loved.

Just as Meg was starting to help Ella put her hair up, Erik's reflection appeared in the mirror, just like when she was supposed to marry Archer. Only this time he was really here. He pulled a few pins out of her hair, allowing her curls to fall around her shoulders. "It looks better this way," he explained.

She spun around and threw her arms around him. "Don't you know it's bad for a groom to see the bride this close to their wedding. Last time someone tried it with me, I ran away."

Erik leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "Well I suppose I'm lucky you can't run anymore," he teased gently. "That means you're stuck here with me."

"Then I suppose I'm lucky there's no place I'd rather be than right here with you," Ella replied with a smile.

"Are you two finished?" Meg asked. "Because last time I checked, there was supposed to be a wedding some time tonight."

"Miss Giry's right," Erik agreed. "We still have a few hours' journey ahead of us."

"You're leaving so soon?"

Ella nodded. "I told you we were. The sooner we can get away from Paris, the better. But you can always visit." She took Erik's hand. "Come on, I thought we had a schedule to keep. I might try running if you keep me waiting too much longer."

Erik raised an eyebrow. "Well then by all means let's wait. I'd like to see you try running." He kissed her again when he saw her facial expression. "I'm only joking mon Ange."

* * *

The carriage slowed to a halt outside the cottage. Erik leaped down, opened the door, and took the slumbering Ella into his arms. She stirred before her eyes opened. "Does this mean we're here?" she asked with a yawn.

"Yes mon Ange. " He carried inside then set her on her feet so he could light a candle for her to see. "Welcome to your new home."

"Oh Erik, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed in delight. "I love it! Is it really ours?"

He smiled and pulled her backwards against his chest, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "Yes. It's all ours." She spun around and hugged him tightly. "Go explore Cheri. I have to put Cesar into the stable, but I'll be back in a few minutes."

Ella took off running through the house. She wasn't sure that cottage was the right word. It was too large for that, but it wasn't big enough to be considered a mansion either. Erik had thought of everything. It was perfect! There was room for Meg and Madame Giry to come and stay if they wished. There was a library full of books for them to read.

Opening another door, Ella found a piano, obviously for Erik's music. She could feel tears spring to her eyes, but she blinked them away. She wouldn't let herself cry. Not today. Today was the happiest day of her life. That meant no crying allowed.

Eventually she found herself in what was clearly the master suite. Since Erik wasn't back inside yet, Ella began to prepare for bed. She slipped out of her white dress into a nightgown. After brushing out her hair, she climbed into bed to await her new husband.

Her husband, how foreign those words seemed and yet they were so natural at the same time. Ella still couldn't believe she was now a married woman. She was Erik's wife. Until he had proposed, she had never even imagined herself with a husband, but now, there was nowhere she'd rather be.

* * *

Erik knew he'd never admit it, but he was stalling. He was afraid that Ella wouldn't like the cottage. He tried to make sure to get everything he thought she would need, but he could have accidentally overlooked some major detail, and already upset his new wife.

He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Ella had actually married him. She looked like an angel in her white dress and now she was all his. He would love her forever, and would do everything in his power to make sure she had whatever her heart desired.

Finally he admitted she was waiting and he couldn't delay any longer. Hopefully she was satisfied with the house. He let himself inside and called her name softly. When she didn't respond, his brow furrowed. "Ella?" he said a little louder.

After opening the bedroom door, Erik found her fast asleep. Smiling at the sight, Erik pulled off his jacket and tossed it aside. Careful not to disturb Ella, he slipped into bed beside her. She got so tired so easily anymore, it was best to let her sleep. Sensing his presence, she rolled over and curled up next to him. "I love you Erik," she whispered.

"I love you too," he murmured back as he wrapped his arms around her. In the moments before he gave into the lull of sleep himself, Erik wondered how heaven could be any better than this.

* * *

Weeks flew by. Erik could never remember feeling more content. He spent his days with Ella at his side. She was healing more and more every day.

One morning Erik awoke with a feeling something was different. Not necessarily in a bad way, it was just different. Ella was still fast asleep in his embrace. He reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes. Instantly he realized what had changed.

Where was his mask? Had it fallen off when he was asleep? Trying to keep as still as possible so he didn't accidentally wake up Ella, Erik looked around the room, searching for the white porcelain. He finally spotted it lying on the nightstand next to Ella. How on earth had it gotten over there? Ella stirred in his arms and nestled closer. So that explained how it got over there, but how had she it off without him realizing it?

Erik reached for his mask, but Ella grabbed his wrist and pulled it away without even opening her eyes. She was pretending to still be asleep, but a smirk crept onto her face. He tried to reach for it again, but she wouldn't let go. "Don't even think about it," she muttered.

He tugged her hand from his wrist and kissed it gently. "Think about what?" he asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

She sat up and looked at him sternly. "Erik you don't need it. I'm your wife. You don't have to hide from me."

"_If I never knew you  
If I never felt this love  
I would have no inkling of  
How precious life can be_

_And I'm so grateful to you_  
_I'd have lived my whole life through_  
_Lost forever_  
_If I never knew you"_

Her voice was soft and she was a little short of breath, but Erik didn't care. He put one hand on the nape of her neck, bringing her close enough for him to kiss her. "Mon Ange," he whispered in amazement. "You can sing again!"

* * *

_Awww fluffiness! Hey everybody! So the epilogue is coming up next so you can look forward to that. Unfortunately that means this story is almost over. I love all the support you've given me this far, and I thank you all. I NEVER expected this story to get as long or as popular as it has, and it makes me feel amazing. Keep on reading and reviewing! _

_~nibblesfan_


	51. Epilogue

Erik clamped his hands tightly over his ears, trying to block out the sound of Ella's screams. His poor angel had been suffering for half the night. What was taking so long? He closed his eyes and tried not to think about it. Oh God, what had he done to her? The doctor was in with her, along with Meg and Antoinette, there was nothing he could do.

The door slammed open. Meg's eyes were wide. Erik slowly stood with a question on his lips. "She's having a hard time breat-" Another scream rang out, drowning out the rest of her sentence. He shoved Meg out of the way and sprinted to his bedroom, throwing the door open.

"Monsieur, you shouldn't be here!" the doctor exclaimed when he burst into the room.

He knelt next to Ella and took her hand. "My wife needs me!" he snapped. "And I'll be damned if you tell me to get out." Antoinette, who was at Ella's other side, gave Erik a look that warned him to control his temper.

"Must you be so difficult Eri-AHHH!" Ella threw her head back into the pillows and her back arched as she screamed again. Her hand clenched so tightly Erik's knuckles began to turn white. She began struggling to catch her breath, to the point that she actually began to hyperventilate.

Ella needed to calm down or she would faint. Erik had never used his voice to hypnotize her, nor had he even considered it, but now he had to. He caressed her cheek and tilted her head towards him. "Ella," he murmured, his voice dropped to a warm, comforting tone. "Look at me mon Ange."

"It…it hurts Erik," she gasped.

"Shhhh, it's almost over," he cooed, slowly lulling her into a trance. "Just relax and it'll be over before you know it." He gently wiped away the sheen of sweat on her forehead. "Take a deep breath." She closed her eyes before obeying. "Just keep breathing."

She had nearly caught her breath when she suddenly screamed again, ripping her away from the haze he was trying to keep her in. "Oh God Erik!" she sobbed. "Erik, make it stop!"

He placed his lips on her temple, trying to offer her what little comfort he could. Erik felt completely and utterly helpless. And he was scared that something bad was going to happen to her. "Hang on Cheri," he begged. "Just a little bit longer."

"You need to push now Madame," the doctor ordered.

Ella squeezed Erik's hand tightly again as she did what she was told. This time he could feel her nails cutting into his skin. Her voice went up half an octave as she gave one final scream then collapsed against the pillows. Erik took her into his arms, rocking her as she panted.

The cry of a newborn filled the room. The doctor gently placed the baby in Ella's arms. "Congratulations. You have a fine healthy son."

Tears of relief and tears of joy began to slide down Ella's face. "He's so beautiful," she whispered.

Erik ran one of his fingers across his son's flawless face with a touch as light as a feather. "He's perfect. Just like his mother."

"What are we going to name him?" Ella asked.

Wrapping his arms around his wife and new son, Erik smiled. "I think I have a name for him. That is, if you agree."

"What are you thinking of?"

He bit his bottom lip, wondering if she'd really like his idea, before blurting out, "Tristan, after your brother. I thought…" Erik watched her face, waiting for some sort of reaction, but received none. "I thought it would be a good idea," he finished weakly.

Ella stared at him in silence for a moment. Then her eyes welled up with tears again. "Do you mean it?"

"If you'd like," he replied with a nod.

"Oh Erik, it's perfect!" She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thank you!"

* * *

**Five Years Later**

Archer glanced out of the carriage window. While he had never been a fan of this particular estate, he was just happy to be out of that hell of a sanatorium. It had been part of the agreement that guaranteed his release. He was to stay under the supervision of his parents, far from Paris.

He wondered whatever happened to the petite redhead he had once loved. From what he had heard, Ella had disappeared not long after he accidentally hurt her. Ella, oh Ella, where were you? Was she happy? Or was she taken by the Phantom the second he was out of the way?

They kept saying he was obsessed with Ella, to the point of hallucinations. But Archer knew he hadn't been obsessed or hallucinating. He had just been trying to protect her! How could they not see that? Catching his sickly reflection in the window, Archer tried to bring his thoughts to something else. He couldn't think about Ella or they'd send him back. He couldn't go back.

Something outside caught his eye. Looking closer, it was a little boy, maybe about four or five, running playfully from someone. A beautiful red-haired woman appeared, obviously chasing the boy, trying to get him to return to her. Eventually the boy leaped into her arms, making her laugh. She looked up and saw the carriage, and for a split second her eyes locked with Archer's.

In that split second, he thought he saw recognition and what looked like fear flash in her eyes. "Ella?" he whispered in shock. For a moment, he was going to shout to the driver to stop, but realized that if he was wrong, he would be put back in the asylum. He was torn on what to do. Eventually he sat back, and tried to force himself to forget about it. In that brief moment before she saw him, she looked happy, and even if it was Ella, he couldn't bring himself to take that away.

* * *

"Tristan!" Ella shouted as she ran after her son. "Tristan, get back here!"

"Catch me Mama!" he called back.

She slumped forwards with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, pain running through the old scar on her stomach. "Tristan, come here! You know I can't run very far like you!" He scampered back and jumped into her embrace. "Oof!" Ella said, making them both laugh. "You're getting so big."

Just then, she realized a carriage was going down the road. Ella didn't think much of it until she glanced at the passenger. Her eyes grew wide. But it couldn't be…but he was….how could it be…it wasn't…was it? "Archer," she whispered in horror.

Based on his facial expression, he knew it was her too. She pulled her son tightly against her chest and watched the carriage, waiting for it to stop and for Archer to come try to take her away. Much to her surprise, it kept moving. Ella let out a sigh of relief. Maybe it wasn't really Archer. Maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her.

Erik came outside and put his arm around her waist. "Are you alright mon Ange? I saw you out here running."

"Yes I'm fine Erik," she replied with a nod. "Tristan was just being a five year old."

"Mama what's an archer?" Tristan asked.

"An archer is someone who uses a bow and arrow," Erik explained. "Where did you hear that word?"

Their son pointed down the road. "Mama said it when that carriage went by."

Her husband's eyes grew wide, then narrowed dangerously. "Ella?"

She put Tristan on the ground. "Go inside darling. Papa and I will be in shortly." Once he was gone, Ella turned to her husband. "I thought it was him, but obviously it wasn't. Don't worry Erik."

"Don't worry?" he repeated. "How can I not? Ella, Archer nearly killed you!"

"We're not in any danger. Archer is locked away remember? I'm just seeing old ghosts from the past. I promise."

Erik didn't look entirely convinced. "Well if you see any more ghosts, I need to know right away. I want to be able to keep you and Tristan safe."

"Well then you might want to know there's one holding me right now," Ella teased. "In fact, I think I'm married to him."

He laughed before leaning in to kiss her. "There's not much I can do to help you with that then."

* * *

_N'awwww, fluffy ending! Thank you all for all the love in support you give me every day. *bows* I love each and every one of you for taking the time to read my writing, it means so much to me! This story will NOT be getting a sequel unfortunately. This has ending exactly how I wanted it too. Possible return of Archer, but maybe not and either way it's still sweet between Erik and Ella. However, on my profile I am having a poll on what my next story will be. It'll be up until about March 31st because I'll be out of the country until then. You guys should all vote and read them when they go up as well as my old stuff if you haven't. Hey, don't look at me like that, why shouldn't I promote my other work? Anyway, thank you all for everything you do for me! Have wonderful and happy lives!  
~nibblesfan_


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